A History of Fate and Destiny
by HarisaEnaja
Summary: Arthur's dreams are hijacked by a Sorceress who wants to show him what really happened 20 years ago. Basically my attempt to close up all of the show plot holes and add a bit of the old legends. No slash, (well not Merlin/Arther). Most of story takes place back in time, DO NOT LOOK AT COVER IMAGE CLOSELY IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!
1. Prolog

**A/N: Hi guys! This is the start of a new Multi-chapter Fic i've been working on. I'm currently on Chapter five so I'm going to give you all the prolog and 1st chapter now and see if I should continue it. Basically this is my attempt to put together all of the plot holes from the show and add a bit of the old legends to the story. The only thing I changed that is technically not cannon is Morgauses age, and really they never _said_ it so...**

**Warnings- Implied sex, but i won't get too gross, Implied underage- suppose to go more with the time period but you have been warned. **

**_DON"T LOOK TOO CLOSELY AT THE COVER IMAGE IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!_ its a family tree of how everyone in this fic is related and it's really for later on if you get confused.**

**I'll try to update every week if there is anyone interested.**

**Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Arthur's eyes snapped open and he gazed up at a rock ceiling. Confused, he looked around and found himself in a dark cave, a pool of water at its center. By the pool, her feet dangling in the water, sat a beautiful young woman with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. She had birthmark on her left temple that looked like an eight pointed star.

"Ah, good. Your awake" she greeted him with an impish smile that was somehow familiar. Arthur slowly got to his feet and reached for his sword, only to find he wasn't wearing it.

"Who are you? Where are we? How did I get here?" He demanded in quick secession.

"Well, aren't you full of questions?" She said patronizingly, then giggled at him "All in good time, Arthur."

"I'll ask you again only once, how did I get here?" Arthur demanded in his kingly voice that usually made everyone (except for Merlin) obey him instantly. But like Merlin, the strange woman seemed to be immune to his orders, and when she answered him she did so with a sigh.

"You're not. Here that is. This place doesn't actually exist. You're still asleep in your bed, but your consciousness is here through your dreams."

"What?" he spluttered. Arthur's confused expression was as far from regal as you could get. Then it hit him and he backed up until his back hit the stone wall.

"_Sorcery_." He hissed, glaring at the woman. She just nodded and smiled at him like he was a child who had just hissed that the sky was blue.

"What do you want, to kill me? To get revenge for something I've done to you?"

"No, I don't want to kill you King Arthur. And I don't want revenge, although you might once we're done here…. I want to show you the truth."

"Truth? What truth?" He said "Why would I want revenge on you?"

For the first time the sorceress smile faltered, and she gave him a sorrowful look that seemed to wish he had asked anything but that. She nodded, resolving herself to speak the hard truth.

"Because I am the reason for the great purge, I am the reason you lost your mother."

Anger and disbelief flared up in Arthur. He had to remind himself that this woman was a powerful sorceress to try and restrain himself from attacking her with his bare hands. As it was he settled for opening and closing his fists and trying to control his breathing.

"You are the sorceress who used magic to attack my mother?!" He seethed. The woman looked heartbroken at his words and made a move like she wanted to go over and embrace him.

"Stay back!" He screamed and pressed himself against the wall, trying to maintain space.

"Oh Arthur, no" She cooed, and he wished she'd stop using his first name in such a familiar fashion "I would never do anything to hurt her. You see, my very existence is what set the wheels of fate into motion. I was never supposed to have been born."

"W-what?" He stuttered, utterly confused and suddenly thinking that maybe this sorceress wasn't in her correct mind.

"It's a long story." She admitted with a sad smile, then suddenly her eyes grew passionate. "But no one knows the truth anymore, no one remembers what really happened! All the people who were in a position to know the whole truth are dead now, and I can't let this story, _my story_, be forgotten. "

"Also," She said with a knowing smile "The balance of knowledge is greatly shifted out of your favor. Others have pieced together bits and pieces of what happened, but none know everything. The events that happened in the past have great sway over your kingdom, even those closest to you now. I wish to rectify that balance by informing you of the truth."

"I will never again believe the lies that come from the mouths of sorcerers!"

The woman rolled her eyes in a very Merlinish fashion.

"That's why I'm not going to _tell_ you, I'm going to _show _you."

Arthur wanted to be strong. He wanted to tell the strange woman and her magic to go to hell and leave him alone, but his curiosity was peaked. And unlike the majority of the other magic users he had encountered, she was calm and didn't seem threatening. If anything the woman seemed like she genuinely wanted to help.

"Show me what?" Arthur said before he could stop himself.

"The past." She whispered and held out her hand. Arthur slowly inched forward, step by step across the cave floor, until he could reach out and take her hand. She led him to the water's edge and pointed to the smooth surface.

"Watch" She commanded. Arthur did and when the woman dipped he hand in the water, the ripples that spread out across the surface started to glow and shimmer until he could see an image just beneath the surface…..


	2. Balinor's Quest

**A History of Fate and Destiny**

**Ch1- Balinor's Quest**

A young, dark haired boy stood on a hill in front of the forest and looked out at the white spires in the distance. The towers and walls of the castle shone in the sunlight and he had to shield his eyes to their glory.

"Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" He called over his shoulder to the woods behind.

The sound of ripping flesh and splattering of blood echoed through the small clearing. A thundering female voice, laced with supernatural power answered him. "I don't know, _this_ is pretty beautiful!"

The young man turned around to look at the speaker, and immediately regretted it. Razor sharp teeth tore into the already mangled body of a deer, chewing and swallowing a chunk of fresh meat. The reptilian snout formed something between a smile and a sneer as blood dripped from its muzzle. Golden eyes looked down at the carcass fondly.

"You are disgusting." The man told his dragon, one side of his upper lip rising to illustrate his feelings. The stone like gray creature turned its gaze on him, twinkling with mischief.

"Aw come on Balinor, are you _sure_ you don't want some?" She kicked the deer toward him and its head lolled so that its lifeless eyes were looking up at him. He felt his stomach flip.

"Positive."

The dragon snickered before returning her attention to her kill.

A great golden brown mound nearby, that could have been mistaken for a gigantic bolder, uncurled itself and lifted its head. It sighed wearily to the young man in a wise voice:

"Young Lord, you really should eat something to keep up your strength. You will need it in the coming days, for I fear the outcome of your decisions this trip could lay sway to the fate of all of Albion."

"So no pressure." Offered the grey dragon cheekily. Balinor sent her a glare before turning to the larger golden dragon.

"But Killigarrah, what does that mean? Future of Albion?"

"Many feel that the time of the Druid prophecies, the time of Emrys, is close at hand. There are those who believe that when Uther Pendragon won back the kingdom of Camelot from his tyrant uncle, he proved himself to be equal of the title of prophecy; the Once and Future King. It is he who shall unite the kingdoms in peace and bring magic back to the land."

"I wasn't aware magic had gone anywhere" Muttered the grey dragon softly. Unfortunately for her the great dragon heard and whipped its head around to face her.

"This is no joking matter, Merlynna! You know perfectly well our race is dwindling! We have been hunted to near oblivion by ignorant humans who see us as merely threatening beasts!" Killigarrah steadied himself with a breath. "The young Lords mission in Camelot; to convince the new king into conservation of our kind, will determine the fate of magic itself."

Balinor, who had been smirking at Merlynna, enjoying the sight of her getting scolded, felt the weight of his mission as he processed Killigarrahs words.

"But, how do you know? I mean, Uther might not even be the Once and Future King, right?" The great dragon was about to respond, but Merlynna cut him off.

"He knows because he's a dragon, and we dragons are naturally wise and…just…_know _things" she said arrogantly.

"Really? Then what happened to you?" Balinor teased "Because you're about as wise as a skunk beetle."

"_Skunk Beetle_, Oh!" She growled "Why, you….!"

Before he could defend himself, the smoky dragon launched herself through the air and pinned him beneath her talon-like claws.

"Hey, get off me!" He cried, more offended by the proximity of her still bloody snout than the actual attack. He pointlessly lashed out at her stone-like grip.

"No. You called me a skunk beetle."

"Killigarrah! Help!" The Dragonlord whined.

The great dragon rolled his eyes tiredly. It had been a long journey and he was quite used to the two youth's squabbles.

"Children," he sighed "at least _try_ to behave like the noble creatures of the old religion you both are."

"He started it." Merlynna sulked, reluctantly letting the young man up.

"Did not!" Balinors indignant voice was raised several octaves higher than usual.

"Did too!"

"Silence!" Killigarrah hissed, his voice suddenly layered with seriousness. He craned his head to look down the dirt road. "Someone's coming."

"You two better hide." Balinor said, fear clinching in his throat. He was haunted by stories of dragons accidently coming across passing travelers, who mistook them for attacking monsters and slayed them.

"Yes, that would be wise." The great dragon agreed and used his nose to nuzzle Merlynna back into the shadows. But she was having none of it.

"I'm not afraid of some puny humans!" she declared bravely, but she nervously glanced between the sound of people that were getting closer and Balinors' small frame.

"I know that," Balinor attempted to pacify her fears. He knew it was him she was afraid for. "But it wouldn't help the peace mission greatly if you barbequed a bunch of people in Camelot's back yard!"

"The young lord is right Merlynna, come" Killigarrah commanded her, then turned to Balinor "Go on to Camelot, we will meet you here in this clearing tomorrow after sun down to hear of your progress."

"What! No!" Merlynna growled, her golden eyes glowing brighter and her sleek scales puffing out until she was her full, terrifying dragon self "Balinor, I'm not leaving you."

He smiled at the fiercely loyal creature who was as dear to him as a sister, touched at her devotion.

"It's okay" He told her. "Trust me. It'll be fine."

But the grey dragon held her ground and kept glancing between the approaching humans and her small Dragonlord.

"Merlynna," He warned "don't make me order you!"

Knowing she was beaten, the dragon cursed venomously (so much so that Killigarrah made a mental note to speak to her about it later) and allowed Killigarrah to lead her into the forest. However, she couldn't resist a parting threat.

"You get yourself killed, I will murder you!"

"…. That doesn't even make sense!" Balinor called after her. He watched them disappear into the cover of the forest before turning his attention back up the road.

A single horse appeared over the crest of the hill carrying a hooded rider at full gallop. He could see lavish skirts billowing under the cloak, so he figured the rider to be a woman, but her face was obscured by the hood. A few seconds after she'd appeared, Balinor saw why the woman appeared to be fleeing for her life as five thugs, also on horseback, cleared the hill. They were screaming and whopping in a mad way, like a pack of wolves hunting, that assured him that they didn't have honorable intentions toward the first rider.

Balinor concealed himself behind the cover of a tree and pointed an outstretched hand toward the lead pursuer, who was rapidly gaining ground on his prey. With a whispered magic word the saddle strap snapped and the man was thrown.

He had expected the man's companions to stop or at least glace back to check on him, but instead they ignored the fallen man. One went so far as to jump straight over him.

The woman and her horse dashed past Balinor without discovering his hiding place. Out of all other options, Balinor steeled himself and walked out into the middle of the road, straight in the pursuer's path.

The men reined back on their horses and look down at him angrily.

"She's getting away!"

"Move boy!" One shouted, attempting to go around him. Balinors eyes flashed gold and the rider's horse reared up in terror.

"_Sorcerer_." A second man spat, like the word it's self was foul tasting in his mouth. There was hatred in their eyes, something Balinor wasn't exactly used to seeing directed at him, but there was also fear as well. More than one of the four men before him glance back in the direction they'd come as if contemplating fleeing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Balinor saw the woman stop and turn around to watch the altercation from a safe distance. A small part of his brain registered her presence and he turned back to the men, his ego inflated.

"Yep. Sorcerer. That's me." Balinor said cheerfully, giving them a signature grin and speaking very quickly. "Now would one of you fine gentlemen like to tell me why five hearty fellows, like yourselves, would be chasing a lone maiden like wolves after a hen? See I'm trying to be nondiscriminatory toward you, wouldn't want to be hasty with conclusions, and am giving you a chance to offer a reasonable explanation for the situation we find ourselves in…."

The four men before him scratched their heads in confusion.

"Non-dis-crim-a what?" The man on the left with no visible teeth said.

Balinor sighed. The men's clothing were simple and looked like they hadn't been washed in a long time. That added to the multitude of weapons he could spot on them and the malicious glint still present in their eyes, it was probably fair to say that they were bandits who regularly attacked people traveling the road to Camelot. And not very well educated bandits either.

"Nondiscriminatory." He informed them, adopting the same instructive tone of voice that Killigarrah had a habit of using with him. "It means fair, equal, unbiased. But I guess it was too much to ask that you oafs have a decent vocabulary."

"_Oafs!_" They screamed in outrage. Now that word, they knew.

"Sorcerer or not" One of the men said, drawling his sword "You're gonna pay for that!"

He slid off his horse and charged at Balinor, his companions following after. The young wizard whispered a few short words and time slowed down so that he was able to lean back just far enough to watch the blade swipe above him right where his neck had been. He gracefully twisted and turned, weaving between swords like he was dancing. His magic had full rein over his body and it told him exactly where to go a when to dodge.

That is, until his toe clipped a tree root sticking up in the road and he went sprawling on his stomach, smashing his chin into the hard ground in the process. Time immediately sped up to fit its normal progression. Balinor had just enough time to roll over and see the glint of the bandit's sword in the sun as it descended toward him. He instinctually flinched away.

And was thus surprised when instead of feeling the sharp steel on his flesh, he heard the loud clank of metal hitting mental. Peeking one eye open at a time, he was startled to see his savior push the bandit away and point her sword defensively, ready for another attack.

It was the girl the men had been chasing, and her midnight blue cloak hood had fallen away so that Balinor was looking up at long butter blond hair. The bandit laughed at the sight of her.

"Well, well, well. We knew you was a brave one milady, but we didn't think you was an idiot. Put down the sword and give us your purse and nobodies got to get hurt."

"I don't think so." she said, the soft voice steeled with determination and confidence.

"Fine then" The bandit sneered "Be it on your own head."

He lunged at her, and the young woman parried the attack with the skill and grace of a seasoned swordswoman. The two danced to the tuneless melody of clanking and scraping of blades for a few minutes and Balinor found himself captivated by her beauty and grace. Her pale hair, which matched her skin, whipped about as she twisted her hips and threw her whole weight behind each blow. The girl was so concentrated on her opponent that she didn't see one of the other bandits draw a knife from his belt and aim it at her. But Balinor saw him.

"Look out!" he warned, but knew there wasn't enough time. Reacting purely on instinct he dashed forward and gripped the girl's cloak. Hearing his warning, she had just enough time for her eyes to go wide as they took in the approaching dagger before Balinors strong grip yanked her out of the way.

"Ooofff" He tripped and fell backward pulling her down so that she fell on top of him. For a moment they just stared at each other, light blue eyes locked with similarly blue ones and they both felt the little ripples of destiny.

The man she had been fighting let out a guttural war cry and charged, breaking the two out of their staring contest. She jumped to her feet to meet his attack. A quick faint to the left, and suddenly the tip of her sword was sticking out of the man's back. It made a horrible squelching sound to accompany his dying cry as she withdrew the weapon. His blood was splattered on her face and all down her font.

Everyone stood still in shock, looking between the man on the ground who was struggling with his last breath and the cold resolved of the woman who put him there. The only sound came when one of the surviving bandits gulped audibly. It seemed to be the other bandits call to action as they turned almost simultaneously, mounted and fled.

The young woman held still and watched them go, keeping her back to Balinor. Her only movement until they were out of sight was the heavy heaving of her breathing. When they were gone, she turned around and Balinor was able to truly examine her looks.

She was breathtakingly beautiful. Fair hair flowed around her shoulders and framed her face, which was mostly taken up by large light blue eyes that rested on high cheekbones. Her lips looked like they normally would have stood full and plump, but at the moment they were pressed together in a thin line of annoyance.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Balinor responded, truly bemused as to why she was mad at _him!_ He did just save her life after all.

"That! The tripping, and the shoving, and the googly eyes…. and stuff."

"googly eyes?" Balinor huffed, getting to his feet. "I do not have _googly eyes_?"

"You do too." She rolled her own eyes "and don't think I didn't see right through your little plot to feel me up. I'll have you know, I am a _lady._ My brother is _a knight_. If he thinks my honor has been damaged in any way, he'll cut off your head!"

"What!" Balinor choked out in disbelief. "I wasn't trying to 'feel you up', I saved your life!"

"I was doing fine on my own, thank you! I could have out ridden them and been in Camelot within the hour. But _nooo_. You just had to step in and play the hero, rescue the damsel in distress."

"Are you serious? They would have caught you within minutes. If I hadn't been here, they'd have slit your throat and left you on the side of the road, lady or not."

"Yes, I'm so glad you're here." She sighed sarcastically. "It's thanks to you that I now find myself covered in blood, in the company of a strange man, and still several miles away from Camelot." She looked around, noticing for the first time that her horse had bolted during the fight. "And apparently I'll be walking!"

Without a further word, she spun on her heel and started off toward the white spires in the distance.

"You're welcome." Balinor muttered as he watched her go. His initial attraction to the woman was quickly being replaced by annoyance and exasperation. With one final glance to the trees in which the dragons had disappeared, he begrudgingly started trudging after the woman.

They'd only been walking for a few minutes, when she whirled around and walked over to look him in the eye.

"Stop following me." She commanded regally.

"I'm not following you. I just happened to be going in the same direction."

She gave a disbelieving snort. "Like I believe _that_"

"Well it's the truth." He told her "I was on my way to seek an audience with the King of Camelot when I had to stop and rescue you."

"Which you failed miserably at, so that I had to come and rescue _you._"

"That's not what happened!"

"Remember it however you like, but if you expect to get a reward then you can brace yourself for disappointment. You won't get a penny out of my family."

She spun around again (Balinor thought she must have really perfected the snobbish move seeing as she used it so much) and started walking. He followed her.

"Weren't you listening? I don't care about some stupid reward, I was on my way to Camelot anyway."

"Really? And why would some simple peasant want an audience with the King?"

"What makes you think I'm a peasant?" Balinor bristled.

"Well it's more than obvious by your manners" She snorted. "or lack thereof."

Balinor was tempted to correct her, to tell her that he was actually from one of the oldest and noblest family in all of Albion. That his blood was probably far nobler than hers, for it was the Dragonlords, his ancestors, who rules the land as kings' centuries ago, before the invaders from the south came and settled. There were still those who had always been here, like the druids and the practitioners of the old religion, who still acknowledged his family's right to the throne.

But he held his tongue. Though the young woman looked harmless, he still knew nothing about her. And as far as he knew, King Uther did not know of the Dragonlords ancient right to his kingdom, and he'd prefer to keep it that way. The very last thing his people needed right now was for Uther to see them as a threat or competition for his throne.

"Of course, I haven't introduced myself" He told her apologetically, and moved in front of her. "My name is Balinor." He executed a graceful bow, grasping her knuckles and bringing them to his lips. She immediately ripped her hand away and brushed passed him to continue her walk.

"Don't I get your name?" he called after her.

"No" She replied coolly.

"No fair! I gave you mine!"  
"I never asked for it."

Balinor gave her his most pathetic puppy dog face, the one Merlynna said could melt stone.

"Please?"

She ignored him and kept her eyes focused straight in front of her as she walked.

"Come on, it's just a name. It's not like I'm asking for your hand in marriage!"

She still ignored him.

"_Please_?"

"Oh fine!" She said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"My name is Ygraine. Lady Ygraine de Bois. Are you happy now?"

Balinor nodded, which only seemed to annoy Ygraine further. They walked in silence for a while, but the blissful quite seemed to be short lived.

"So, _Ygraine_" He said, taking special joy in the flinch of annoyance she showed when he used her name "why are you going to Camelot?"

"That's none of your business" she said pompously.

Balinor snorted. "Geez, just trying to make conversation. Can't blame a guy for being curious?"

Ygraine's lack of response indicate she obviously did. So once again they fell back into silence as they walked. After a while, Balinor had given up hope of getting a response to his question and was about to ask another when she interrupted his thoughts by speaking.

"My brother is getting married. He is a knight in the Kings army, and the King himself has helped to arrange his marriage. The wedding is tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning? Cutting it a bit close aren't you?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

She muttered something under her breath and wouldn't look at him.

"Sorry my lady? What was that?"

"I said, it's a very long way, and my maps were out of date." She spat through gritted teeth, then started muttering again. "I mean, really, you'd have to of been a genius tracker to have found that path."

Balinor let out a deep, belly laugh. "So you got lost?"

Ygraine didn't answer him, which was all the answer he needed and he started laughing again. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment.

"It isn't funny." She hissed. "Could have happened to anyone."

"Oh, I'm sure." He said pacifyingly, but the effect was moot due to his uncontrollable snorts of mirth. "Anybody."

"Oh shut up!"

This made Balinor laugh even harder.

* * *

Soon they made their way through the city gates and through the lower town. Both were astounded by the variety of people bustling around on their daily business. The city was vibrant, full of colorful clothes and people. Stalls lined the roads full of exotic wears and treasures.

Balinor was completely overwhelmed. He'd never been in a place with so many humans, and truth be told, they made him a little nervous. But he never received any looks of suspicion like he'd expected. In fact most people ignored him or gave him a friendly nod of acknowledgment.

Ygraine on the other hand was getting more than a few suspicious looks. People looked at her and started to whisper, mothers pulled their children away hurriedly. The young woman did her best to ignore them, keeping her head held high, but soon she couldn't take it anymore.

"You'd think they'd never seen a lady before." She remarked to Balinor. He looked her over wily and quickly eyed the problem.

"No, I'm sure they've seen a lady before. Just probably not one who's covered in blood."

Ygraine glanced down at herself in mortification as she realized he was right.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Asked a concerned woman with light brown skin and dark curls. Her brown eyes took Ygraine in and quickly assessed her state with motherly alarm. She turned to a well-dressed young boy of about seven or eight who stood behind her, watching the newcomers with open curiosity.

"Go up to the castle and collect some of the guards to come escort the lady to the palace" she commanded him. He bobbed his head, a mess of dirty blond curls, and started off.

"Oh, and Leon?" She called after the boy. "Don't get lost this time?"

The boy shot her a cheeky grin before tearing off up the street, apparently hell bent on his mission.

"My name is Mary." She told them warmly, then addressed Ygraine "Come my lady, my husband's shop is just around the corner. Please let us offer you some food and drink while we wait for the guards. You appear to have been through quite the experience."

"That is very kind of you, but…." Ygraine began, but was immediately cut off by Balinor.

"Sounds lovey, we'd really appreciate it." He told Mary with a smile. Ygraine glared at him.

"We?" She hissed as they followed the woman. Balinor shrugged.

"I don't know about you, but I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Besides, don't want to be rude, now do we?" He winked at her and had to duck out of the way as she moved to slap him.

It was indeed just around the corner that Mary led them to a small blacksmith shop. As soon as Mary opened the door, she was hit by a small creature which flew with incredible speed and latched its self to her skirts with a cry of "MAMMA!"

"Yes hello, dearest" She cooed down at the small child, stroking his head.

"Mary?" A large man came out of the back to meet them, his skin and beard also dark, but there was a gentle twinkle in his eye. He took in the sight of Balinor and Ygraine, still covered in blood, and raised an eyebrow at his wife.

"Tom, the lady and her servant have just arrived in the city and seemed to have had some trouble getting here. I've sent Leon to fetch the guards, but can you go fetch some water and bread for our guests while they wait?"

"Servant?" Balinor murmured low enough so that their hosts couldn't hear. Ygraine elbowed him in the ribs. Balinor thought she looked just a little too smug at the idea.

"Of course." The man said with a smile. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Mary's cheek. "Anything for you, my love" Then he disappeared into the back of the shop.

Mary pried the small arms way from her legs and turned the boy to face them.

"This is my son, Elyan." She introduced them. The boy shied away and attempted to hide his face in his mother's skirts, one dark eye trained warily on the strangers.

Balinor smirked, he'd always been good with kids. He dipped into a deep bow so low his hand almost scraped the cobblestone floor.

"Sir Elyan." He greeted. The boys' eyes went wide and Balinor saw this as a sign of encouragement. "Please allow me to introduce myself, for I am Lord Balinor Ambrosia of the Dragonlords, soul kin of the grey dragon Merlynna and student of the great Killigarrah." Elyan's mouth dropped open and he looked at the man with wonder, while his mother seemed a taken off guard. Ygraine too, was looking at him with shock and surprise.

"And this very scary looking person is the Lady Ygraine de Bois."

"I am not scary" Ygraine hissed at him, looking very scary indeed. Balinor shrugged, already becoming accustomed to her almost constant annoyance with him.

"Ygraine de Bois?" The blacksmith Tom exclaimed, having just reentered with a plate of bread and cheese and a small pitcher of water. "You must be Sir Tristan's sister here for the wedding!" He grinned at her "Forgive my bluntness my lady, but your brother is an amazing fighter. I took Elyan to the last tournament, which he won without any real contest. The man is an artist with a sword!"

Ygraine put up the face of a diplomat and was suddenly the picture of courtly grace, as if just remembering her duties. "I'm sure my brother will be grateful for the compliment, as well as you and your wife's hospitality toward his sister." She said meaningfully.

"Oh it was no trouble my lady," Mary assured her. "You see, I'm a maid in Lord Rupert's household. His son, the boy you saw earlier, is my charge when Sir Rupert wishes Leon to accompany him to the castle. I've met Sir Tristian on a number of such occasions and am always struck by his kindness. Truly, I would feel awful if I had passed up the opportunity to help out his kin."

"Oh, so you have been to court!" Ygraine exclaimed, looking very much like a drowning woman who has just been passed a floatation device. "I must confess, being from the country I've never before had occasion. Perhaps you could give me a few pointers?" she finished hopefully.

"Of course!" Mary grinned at her and talked while Ygraine attempted to wipe off the blood (She was only really successful in smearing it around) and Balinor discreetly worked on the refreshments Tom had brought. "It will certainly be busy right now, because of the wedding. Lord Goloris of Cornwall and his wife Lady Vivienne arrived only yesterday….."

The women talked on, and Balinor found himself losing interest, instead looking around the room when a sharp tug on his pants leg brought his attention down.

"Have you really met a dragon?" The little voice of Elyan came out in barely a chirp, his big brown eyes looking up at him skeptically. Balinor squatted down to look the boy in the eye.

"Of course! I've met several of them. Although there's not very many left right now." It was amusing to see Elyans whole face light up in wonderment as he tried to imagine knowing not one, but several dragons. Then his face fell as he considered a thought.

"Aren't you scared they're gonna eat you? Or breathe fire on you? Or sit on you and squash you?"

"No, No" Balinor laughed, then pondered the question. "Well, there is one, Killigarrah- he's my teacher and he can be pretty scary when he thinks I'm trying to skip out on my lessons. And then there's Merlynna, who does try and sit on and breathe fire on me, but she would never hurt me. She and I are soul bonded." Balinor looked up to see the girls had finished their chat and were listening in on their conversation.

"Soul bonded?" Ygraine asked.

He was about to answer, when the young boy from before (Leon, he thought his name was) entered. He led in a tall man with dark red hair wearing a dark blue tunic and chainmail. Ygraine leapt to her feet and threw her arms around the man's neck.

"Tristian!" She exclaimed, embracing him fondly. He hugged her back before realizing the state she was in and held her away at arm's length.

"Gods," he swore "I thought the boy was exaggerating when he said a noble woman _covered in blood_. But I figured, if it was true, it couldn't have been anyone other than you! It's not yours I trust?"

"No, of course not Tristan" Ygraine said "I ran into a spot of trouble from bandits on my journey here, but I took care of it."

"I'm sure you did" Tristian laughed, before admitting to the group "I know I'm certainly not the only one in the family who's handy with a sword. She used to beat me all the time as a child, which our father thought was incredibly amusing."

"And who's this? Another one of your suitors, Ygraine?" Tristan asked, noticing Balinor.

"Certainly not" Ygraine huffed indignantly. "I met him just outside the city and he followed me here."

"I see." Tristan said knowingly, then extended his hand in a friendly manner "I thank you then for accompanying my sister to safety. You shall be rewarded Mr…"

"Lord," Balinor corrected, enjoying the shocked look on Tristan's face "Lord Balinor Ambrosia of the Dragonlords."

"I apologize, my lord" Tristan said with a slight blush of embarrassment. Balinor waved it off forgivingly. "Please allow me to show you to the castle. I can also offer an introduction to the king, if you would like?"

Balinor grinned, seeing his good fortune as a sign his mission in Camelot was blessed to be successful.

"I would like that very much" He told the knight, and with a humble thanks to their hosts, followed the man out into the street.

Sir Tristan walked arm in arm with his sister, while the two caught up on gossip from their home.

"And how is _Aggravating_? Has he gotten any better at training or is he still holding his sword like a dead fish"

Ygraine hit his arm reproachfully and scolded "He's doing fine, but you know he doesn't like that nickname, I wish you would stop calling him that."

"I'll stop calling him that when he stops acting like it. Really, sometimes I can't believe he's our brother." Ygraine rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, tell me of your new bride? What is she like?" She questioned, tactfully changing the subject.

"Well I wouldn't know, would I?" Tristian sighed. "She got here yesterday with her parents, but I'm not allowed to see her. Suppose to be bad luck you know."

"You mean you haven't even met her and you're getting married in the morning?" She exclaimed. Tristian nodded solemnly.

"Apparently her father and ours negotiated our union for king. Now both of our lands will fall under our family's control after her father's death, which benefits the king for political reasons. To be honest, the whole thing makes my head hurt, but I'm a man of noble station. I will do as the king commands."

"It hardly seems right though" Ygraine complained "marring someone you've never met. What if she's awful! You'll be stuck with her for life!"

"It doesn't matter what she's like. If the king wishes it, then it is my job to make it so." Tristian declared, and Balinor thought he got a pretty good sense of the man's character. He'd met his type before, the kind to whom nobility and honor are the most important things in life.

His sister didn't seem to share his views, and snorted dismissively.

"And what did you do to our crest? That looks nothing like it!" She said, jabbing at the large bird on his chest. For the first time, Tristian looked rather sheepish.

"I changed it. I mean_, a dove_ doesn't exactly inspire fear in the enemy. A phoenix on the other hand…"

"Only you…" Ygraine laughed and gripped her brother's arm tighter.

Tristian soon lead them into the heart of the citadel and a large court yard filled with busy people.

An older man with slightly greying hair and wearing a long, but simple robe made his way down the steps and toward them.

"Tristan? There's rumor going around in the lower town that some lady's killed a man? Is anyone actually injured?" The man said. He raised one eyebrow in appraisal of Ygraine, and Balinor instantly decided he liked the man.

"No, no, the bloods not hers" Tristian assured the man with a grin. "Gaius, please allow me to introduce my sister, The Lady Ygraine de Bois" The man gave Ygraine a respectful bow, muttering "milady".

"…and her recent traveling companion, Lord Balinor Ambrosias. Lord Ambrosias, this is Gaius- the court physician."

At the sound of the name, the raised eyebrow turned to evaluate Balinor with a good bit more scrutiny than they did Ygraine.

"Lord Ambrosias? You're a Dragonlord?" Gaius asked. Balinor recognized that the man probably knew of his ancient royal heritage, and realized what the raised eyebrow was really asking him- are you here to dethrone the king?

"Yes, I'm a Dragonlord. But please, call me Balinor." He said as the two men shook hands. "I'm actually here to pay homage to the king, and perhaps petition him on behalf of my people." Gaius nodded microscopically, showing he understood the message- Balinor was not here to challenge Uther.

"Well, things will be pretty busy for the next few days, but you must stay for the wedding!" Tristian grinned at Balinor when the younger man tried to respectfully protest. "Please, I insist!"

"I'm afraid all of the guest rooms are full, Sir Tristan." Gaius reminded the knight kindly. He appraised Balinors simple clothing and made a calculation. "If you would like to stay, there is an extra room in the back of my workshop. It is by no means up to the standards of a lord, however if you should wish to stay…?"

"I would be very grateful." Balinor told the man honestly "After sleeping outdoors for the past month, a simple bed and a roof over my head would be most welcomed."

Gaius nodded pleased with Balinors answer, as if it had confirmed a suspicion about him.

"Come Ygraine, I'll show you to your own quarters and I'll leave you, Lord Balinor, in Gaius's capable hands" Tristian said to his sister, but turned to Balinor before he left. "There is feast tonight in honor of my last night as a single man. You will join us, I hope? I did promise you an introduction to the king, and if nothing else I'd like to get your version of today's events, for if I know my sister we'll have to pry to get the truth"

"Of course!" Balinor said, excited about the progress of his mission. He flashed a grin at the blond woman, knowing it would annoy her.

"_Wonderful_" Ygraine muttered, and dragged her brother away.

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys, so that's Chapter 1! they all won't be this long, I actually combined 2 chapters for this one, so from now on they'll be about half this size. That is if anyone is interested in hearing more of the story. If you are just let me know! Also, I love hearing your theories or how you think the characters would interact. If you've got any idea's, hit me up.**


	3. The Feast

Balinor fiddled nervously with his sleeves as he followed Gaius into the great hall. The borrowed tunic was frillier than his normal taste and a little too big for him, but he didn't feel it appropriate to complain. Everyone in the castle seemed happy and looking forward to the wedding celebrations.

The great hall was one of the most amazing sights he'd ever seen, and when he first walked in, he stood and stared with total awe. It wasn't so much the decorations that gave him pause (although those were spectacular and unequal to anything he'd ever seen), but all of the people. The ladies in their flowing gowns, and the lords in their best finery. Many of the knights still wore their chainmail with their crests proudly on their chests. Everyone looked beautiful, and having spent most of his life with either dragons or simple farming folk, Balinor was overwhelmed with the splendor.

"Come along now my lord, no use standing there gawping" Gaius chuckled at him and pulled him further into the fold to mingle with the others.

Balinor caught sight of Mary from earlier that day and made his way over to her. She wasn't dressed as finely as the rest of the ladies, yet she still looked beautiful in a simple yellow dress. The young boy, Leon, was by her side attempting to steal fruit off the table when she wasn't looking. As a result, Mary was watching him like a hawk and didn't notice Balinor approaching until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh! My lord, you startled me" She exclaimed, giving him a slight bow as greeting. He saw Leon's hand dash out and snag some grapes, stuff them in his mouth, then wipe the evidence away on his breaches all in the fraction of a second her head was turned.

"Please, just call me Balinor." He told her, trying not to laugh at the boy's antics. Mary turned around and eyed Leon suspiciously, who only grinned innocently at her.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to." She muttered warningly to him, before turning back to Balinor.

"I must say, I didn't expect to see you here. But I sure am glad you are! It's nice to know someone already." He said.

"Of course my lor…erm….._Balinor_" he grinned at the use of his name. "I'm here as a chaperone for Leon. Sir Rupert had to return to home, as one of his daughters in unwell, but asked that Leon stay and observe the court. He's going to need to be familiar with the customs if he's going to be a knight one day." By the way she said it, Balinor could tell she didn't all together agree with Sir Rupert's logic.

"You don't think so?" He asked.

"It's not my place to question my master" Mary said humbly and sagely, but her eyes dance with a motherly concern as she glanced at Leon. "However, I know how dangerous the life of a knight of Camelot can be. I guess I'm just grateful Elyan will never be in that position."

"Excuse me, Lord Balinor" Leon cut in looking excitedly at him. "Elyan told me that you're a _Dragonlord_! And that you have acutely met _a dragon_! Have you really? _A real live one_?!"

"Yes, I grew up with them" Balinor told him, pleased to see there was no fear in his eyes, only a child's curiosity. "My parents died when I was very young, and The Great Dragon, Killigarrah, took me in and made me his student."

"His student?" Leon asked "you mean he taught you to breathe fire and stuff?"

"No, no," Balinor laughed "He taught me how to read and write, how to do math and about history." He had to chuckle at the boy's face, as he seemed torn between disappointment and puzzlement.

"He probably taught you magic as well" Cooed a female voice from behind him.

Balinor spun around to see a beautiful woman in an elegant red gown with long dark hair and stunning blue eyes appraising him. Her blood red lips turned up in a playful smile, and she offered out her hand.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping, but I found your conversation rather fascinating." She purred. "I'm the Lady Nimueh-court sorcerer and high priestess of the old religion"

Balinors struggled to hide his surprise as he took her hand and bowed to her. A high priestess! She must have been powerful indeed to hide her magic so well that he couldn't sense it. However now that he looked, he could almost see the little light of power in her gaze and knew her to be the real thing.

He swallowed nervously. The high priestesses of the old religion and his people had a sorted past of mistrust and betrayal. It had been many hundreds of years sense the last great hostilities between the two, but he had no notion of the strange woman's point of view or sense of history.

"Ah, yes. He did teach me magic as well" Balinor admitted eyeing her carefully. "However most Dragonlords magic comes instinctually- we are born with it. My own developed when I was ten. But you already knew that didn't you?" He confronted her, knowing that anyone who had seriously studied magic knew this fact about his kind.

"Yes" She smirked "But reading the information out of a book and hearing about it firsthand are two very different things. You are the first Dragonlord I've ever met."

"It's true, there aren't very many of us left. That's part of what I've come to Camelot to speak with the king about."

"Don't worry, I'll put in a good word with him for you." She teased with a wink, and he wasn't sure if she was being sincere or not. Glancing around, he noticed that Mary and Leon had disappeared and he was stuck making small talk with the high priestess he couldn't read.

"So your magic developed at ten? Is that usual for your kind?" she asked. Balinor felt an unexplainably erg to deny her an answer, but quickly reminded himself that the goal of his trip to Camelot was to try and spread enlightenment and understanding about both dragons and his own kind.

"It's a little younger than usual, but not unheard of. Most develop their magic during puberty."

"Ah, that's when my sister got hers" Nimueh reminisced "She nearly set the whole house on fire in her sleep." Her head swiveled around looking for someone. "I thought she would be around here somewhere, but I guess she's sulking."

He gave her a confused look, so she elaborated.

"My sister Vivienne is the mother of the bride, yet she doesn't exactly approve of this union. She thinks her daughter is still too young for it. Silly woman, she never did have any head for strategy and can't appreciate the political advantage this puts her family at."

"How old_ is_ the bride?" he asked, his suspicions raised at her dismissive tone.

"Oh don't worry, she's already had her first blood" Nimueh assured him in a manner that wasn't reassuring at all and his eyes caught Tristan talking with some other knights. He had been very tightlipped and diplomatic when talking about his soon to be wife with his sister, and Balinor wondered if that was because he was uncomfortable telling her about the girls true age. Maybe he didn't even know.

He wanted to question her further, but was stopped when a small man in a frilly hat announced "All hail- King Uther Pendragon!" And the King himself swept into the hall.

He was tall, but simply dressed for the occasion. The only thing that differentiated him from the other lords was his long red cap with the Pendragon crest and the band like crown on his head. His piercing grey eyes swept the room with something akin to boredom as he made his way to the head of the table and took his seat. The rest of the party followed his lead.

Nimueh sat at his right hand side and a tall man with golden hair and beard sat at his left, Sir Tristian next to him. Balinor was unsure of where he was supposed to go until Tristian waved him over to a seat at his side.

"Balinor! Please join us, I would love to get you side of the story now." He said with a friendly grin, which Balinor returned and began his tale of the day. He left out the part about the dragons, but otherwise omitted nothing and saw Tristan's jaw tighten with anger and worry when he described the bandit's pursuit of his sister.

"You slowed down time?" Tristian asked, curious.

"Of course he did, he's a sorcerer." The golden haired man beside Tristian interrupted. Balinor looked at him rather startled, having been unaware that anyone other than Tristan was listening to him speak.

"Ah, forgive me" Tristan said "Balinor, this is Goloris, Lord of Cornwall and my future father-in-law. My Lord, this is Lord Balinor Ambrosias; my sisters savior."

"Yes, I did." Balinor continued, after nodding acknowledgment to the lord "Slow down time that is, it's a common enough magical power for my people.'

"Fascinating." Goloris muttered sarcastically, but was quick to defend himself when Balinor dipped his head in confusion. "You'll have to forgive me, but I'm afraid anything to do with magic has little interest to me. My wife is interested enough in the subject for the both of us."

"Ah, yes! And where is Lady Vivienne?" Tristan exclaimed "I had hoped to meet her before the wedding!"

"She is with our daughter." He said tersely. His tone made it known that he had no wish to talk about his wife and Tristian buried his nose in his goblet. An awkward silence fell over the table.

The silence was thankfully broken by Ygraine's entrance. She was stunning in a long blue dress that flowed around her and brought out the blue in her eyes. Her straw golden hair was allowed to stream down her back and around her shoulders framing her gentle face. Every soul in the room stopped and stared, taken aback by her beauty.

The king was no exception. He watched her walk gracefully over to her brother with his mouth hanging open slightly. She moved to greet Tristian with a quick embrace and Balinor offered his seat to her, which she took without looking or acknowledging him. He huffed at her indifference which was obviously intentional, taking the seat on her other side.

"Sister, you look lovely" Tristian complemented and Ygraine beamed happily at him. He turned to the rest of the table. "My lords, allow me to introduce my sister- Lady Ygraine de Bois"

"Ygraine. That's a beautiful name" The king said, leaning over the table to peer her. She blushed slightly at his attention but kept her poise.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I must also thank you for your hospitality toward myself and my brother. Your offer to hold the wedding here in Camelot was most generous."

"It's nothing" The king admonished with a wave "This place needs a little livening up every once in a while, what better reason to celebrate than a wedding?"

Ygraine giggled "Indeed, my lord".

Out of the corner of his eye, Balinor saw Nimueh's lips tighten as she watched their interaction. There was a calculated, even malicious glint in the witch's gaze as she looked at Ygraine.

"Ah, but my dear! We heard you befell some trouble on the road, bandits was it?" Nimueh discreetly let her hand fall possessively over the kings as she leaned over to better speak with Ygraine, who nodded. "How _awful _for you. It must have been so traumatizing"

Ygraine's smile twitched and her eyes tightened at the patronizing tone.

"I assure you my lady, I can take care of myself"

"Oh, I'm sure you can." Nimueh said condisindingly. "However you were very fortunate that such a powerful warlock like Lord Balinor was there to rescue you."

Ygraine's pale skin flushed bright red with barely concealed contempt.

"Actually, it is I who owe my life to lady Ygraine" Balinor asserted. King Uther looked at him startled, as if he were just noticing the other man's presence. Ygraine too was startled, and looked openly at him for the first time that night. "If it weren't for her quick action, my head probably wouldn't still be connected to my neck."

"Yes, well anyone can get lucky." Nimueh muttered bitterly.

"Oh it wasn't luck." Balinor corrected "She is very accomplished with her sword. Her skill was quite impressive."

Nimueh turned back to her food with an aloof snort. Ygraine shot him a small grateful smile, while the king looked like Christmas had come early.

"You're interested in swordplay, my lady?" He asked, paying no heed to Tristian and Goloris whom he leaned over. "Perhaps you would like to visit our training fields tomorrow morning before the wedding?" Ygraine's eyes lit up excitedly.

"I would like that very much." She beamed at him.

"Speaking of the wedding; Your Majesty, I wished to go over the logistics of the new borders and possible tax implications…" Goloris said, dragging the king away from conversation with Ygraine. He gave her a look that said _we'll continue this later_.

"Thank you" She muttered quietly to Balinor. He grinned at her and she was immediately back to her snobbish self "But I didn't need you to defend me."

"You're welcome" He said, nudging her friendly. A sudden and unexpected friendship started to bloom between them, and they grinned at each other in acknowledgement of it.

"What did you mean earlier, when you said you were soul bonded?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, it's a Dragonlord thing." He explained "See when we come of age, most Dragonlords form a bond with a specific Dragon. I bonded with a dragon named Merlynna. She and I are best friends, we're closer than siblings. I would die for her and I know she would do the same."

"Sounds nice to have that kind of connection with someone" She commented. "What is she like?"

"Merlynna? Annoying. Most of the time we bicker like siblings. But I can't imagine life without her." He decide on a whim. "I'm riding out to meet her and my teacher, Killigarrah tomorrow evening. Would you like to come?"

"To meet _Dragons_?" She whispered. "They aren't….dangerous?"

"No," he laughed, then amended "Not if you don't provoke them" She still looked uneasy, so he reassured her "Beside, as a Dragonlord they have to do what I order them to. I promise, you'll be safe."

"Alright." She agreed, then giggled excitedly "_Dragons_"

By this point in the evening servants had cleared away any leftover food and couples were venturing out into the center of the hall to dance to the lively music. Ygraine looked at the dancers wistfully, and nudged her brother to try and get his attention. Tristan was engaged in conversation with his Father-in-law to be and held his hand up to her without turning to look at her. She pouted at him but surrendered her attempts and sought a new victim she could bully into dancing.

Balinor, who had noticed Ygraine's search and guessed her reasoning, was actively employed in looking anywhere else. This didn't seem to make the slightest difference to her. She grabbed his hand and before he knew what was happening, Ygraine was dragging him away from the table and out onto the dance floor.

"Oh, no" Balinor tried to protest "I really don't think this is a good idea!"

"Come on, dance with me!" She ordered regally. _Bet she thinks she's the __**bloody**__**Queen**__, ordering people about,_ Balinor though venomously.

"No, really…." He tried to pull away, but she was surprisingly strong and muscular for someone so feminine looking.

"What's the matter, don't tell me you don't know how to dance?" She questioned, a teasing undertone to her voice. Balinor glared at her.

"It's not that, it's just that I'm not the most …_graceful_ person ever."

"You mean you're clumsy" She giggled "Yes, I figured that out when you managed to trip over your own two feet in the middle of a fight for your life!"

He was about to defend himself when she placed his hand on her waist and took his other one in her own.

"Don't worry" She whispered conspiratorially. "I can be graceful enough for the both of us- just follow my lead."

And with that she pulled him away into a whirlwind of other dancers all moving in circles in time with the music. Balinor was surprised at how easy it was with Ygraine guiding his steps. He only stepped on her toes once!

The upbeat music thumped along with their heartbeats and they both laughed with delight at the pure fun of it all. Ygraine's eyes danced happily and Balinor felt like he was looking at some unearthly being the way her unguarded smile illuminated the room. Finally the song ended and both clapped their hands while trying to regain their breath.

Balinor was just about to take her hands again for the next song, when he felt a firm tap on his should.

"May I?" The king asked, gesturing to himself and them to Ygraine. Balinor bowed respectfully and relinquished his position to the king who slipped one hand around Ygraine's waist and the other into her free hand, pulling her close. Ygraine blushed as they started moving in slow circles, this second song being much slower than the first.

Balinor drifted over to stand at the side of the hall and watch the dancers.

"The king seems quite taken with the Lady Ygraine." Mary whispered beside him. Balinor watched the couple dance and noticed the way the king's gaze never left Ygraine's face and the way Ygraine, who moments ago had been free and full of unbridled energy, was suddenly stiff like she was nervous and self-conscious.

"He does" Balinor agreed, "Maybe the King won't remain a bachelor for much longer?" He muttered, thinking about his earlier thought about Ygraine and her queenly attitude. The way they danced together, they really did seem regal- the perfect king and queen.

"Not if Nimueh has anything to say about it." Mary murmured and discreetly pointed to where the high priestess was skulking behind a pillar. She was watching Uther and Ygraine dance and clutching her goblet so tight he wouldn't have been surprised if the metal bent.

"Is the king courting her?" Balinor asked, trying to determine the level of connection between the two and feeling reasonably protective of his new friend.

"No, not exactly." Mary admitted, then gave him a face that said_ if you tell anyone I told you this I will murder you _and continued. "He _has_ been known to take her into his bed on occasion. But to be honest, the king takes a lot of women into his bed. However, I've never seen him look at one like _that_ before" She finished gesturing at the still dancing pair.

The king and Ygraine were talking quietly to each other while they danced, and none could hear what they were saying, but Ygraine's face lit up happily at whatever the king said and she nodded emphatically.

The night continued onward and Balinor found himself truly enjoying the company of Tristan, Gaius, Mary and Leon; the latter of whom he took great pleasure in preforming small magic tricks for and watching the young boys eyes lit up in wonderment. But all good things must come to an end and somewhere around midnight, long after Mary had swept up an exhausted Leon and carried him out, he decided to retire back to his small bed in the back of Gaius's workshop.

As he left, he noticed a s single couple still on the dance floor. They weren't even dancing anymore really, just holding each other and swaying slightly, the music having stopped almost an hour ago.

He grinned at Ygraine's head resting gently against the king's chest and his chin resting on the crown of her hair. As they turned slightly, Ygraine caught him looking at them and smiled back at him. He bid her goodnight with the smallest incline of his head and received the same back before leaving them to each other.

Balinor whistled happily on the way back to his room, thinking his first night in Camelot hadn't gone too badly.


	4. The Wedding

**Chapter 3 –The wedding**

The sunlight woke him up the next morning. Balinor yawned and stretched as he looked out the window of his little room behind the physician's quarters. The view was spectacular and displayed the sprawling urban center that was Camelot waking up to the new day. Little wisps of smoke rose from the individual houses and birds flew merrily between the roof tops and the baby blue sky.

He found a new set of clothes thoughtfully laid out on a chair in the corner, curtesy of the physician, and quickly changed into them. The tunic was of a much finer material than the one he'd been given last night, with little jewels and intricate designs embroidered into the fabric and he was momentarily confused until he remembered the wedding. The ceremony would surely take place in only a few hours, so he rushed out the door suddenly worried about being late.

He needn't have worried. Gaius was in the main room with Elyan and Tom. Tom was standing with his arms crossed and giving his small son an exasperated look. The young boy was sitting on the work bench with his small legs hanging over the edge of the table while Gaius bent over his arm. On closer examination, Balinor saw that Elyan had a good sized burn that the physician was carefully wrapping in bandages. His eyes were red like he'd been crying but he stoically bit his lip and looked away from the wound. His expression did a 180 when he saw Balinor and he burst out in an excited grin.

"Lord Dragon sir!" He exclaimed and Balinor smirked at the butchering of his title. Tom noticed him at his sons exclaims and gave a respectful bow that Balinor waved off.

"Call me Balinor," he said automatically turning to the boy "Good morning Elyan! What did you do to your arm?"

"I burnt it on the forge." He whispered, properly ashamed.

"You know better than to be in there when I'm working." Tom scolded, but then his eyes softened as Elyan clutched his now bandaged arm to his chest and looked away. Elyan's brooding didn't last long though and he again turned to Balinor, barely stopping himself from jumping up and down in his eagerness to tell Balinor the news.

"Mama says that if I'm really good, I get to go to the wedding with Leon and Mama! I really want to see all the knights and the pretty lady's!"

"Yes well, that was before you went and burnt your arm on the forge" Tom said, crossing his arms again and giving Elyan a look that Balinor had seen on Killigarrah many times growing up. He didn't envy Elyan at all. "That wasn't very good, was it?"

"But Papa!" Elyan protested. Tom silenced him with a look.

Not willing to get in the middle of a family dispute, Balinor respectfully excused himself and slipped out of the physician's quarters. He wandered around the castle for a little bit, taking in the grandeur and avoiding scurrying servants running around trying to get everything prepared for the wedding.

A flash caught his eye and he turned his attention out of a nearby window and to the training grounds below. Ygraine's sword was glinting in the early morning sun as it slashed and parried gracefully with her opponent. Her long blond braid whipped around as she twirled and even from a distance he could see her grinning. The man she was fighting was in full armor, which made his movements cumbersome, and Ygraine took full advantage of it. She dropped her weight and swept out her foot neatly tripping her opponent. He fell onto his knees and as he tried to regain his balance she flicked her wrist and knocked his sword out of his hand, then brought her own blade to his neck.

Suddenly two other knights popped out of nowhere and seized Ygraine by the arms, pulling her away. Balinor tensed, trying to figure out the best way to come to her rescue when the man on his knees waved the knights away. He pulled off his helmet and Balinor was shocked to recognize King Uther himself. The knights unhanded Ygraine and she and the king seemed to be laughing.

"She's very good, isn't she?" a woman said. Balinor turned and was surprised to see a beautiful dark haired woman with cool green eyes and a lady's dress standing beside him. He hadn't even heard her approach.

"Yes, she is." He admitted, turning back to watch the training field. "She saved my life yesterday, killing a bandit who was attacking."

"If she were a man, she'd most certainly have been a knight by now." The woman commented. There was something familiar about her, but Balinor couldn't quite place what it was.

"You're Balinor, aren't you? The Dragonlord?" She said in a voice that was dead and toneless, like someone who was emotionally exhausted. He nodded confirmation, not surprised that his name had already circulated round the castle. She turned her cold eyes on him, and he felt like his very soul was being examined.

"Then as a student of magic, you know of the prophecy?"

Balinor tilted his head at her and asked "The prophecy of the Once and Future King?"

The woman nodded, then continued to stare at him. Alarmed by the seemingly random topic of discussion, but willing to play along, Balinor nodded again.

"I know the Once and Future King is supposed to unite the lands of Albion and 'bring magic back to the land' whatever that means…"he said, repeating Killigarrahs words.

"And he will do it with the aid of the most powerful magic user that has ever lived. The one the druids call Emrys, the immortal spirit of magic in human incarnation." Balinors eyes widened, having not been aware of this part of the prophecy, but the woman wasn't done. She confronted him.

"Do you believe that Uther Pendragon is the Once and Future King?" She demanded. Balinor had to take a step back to shake off the intensity of her gaze.

"To be honest, I just met the man." He told her "We've never even directly spoken. I wouldn't know if he's this fabled King or not."

The woman broke off her scrutiny with a sigh and went back to looking out the window without really seeing anything. A silence fell between them, and Balinor was just plotting a way to politely excuse himself when she spoke again.

"My sister thinks he is" She said in almost a whisper, and Balinor wasn't sure if he was meant to hear. Suddenly things clicked in his head and he realized why she looked so familiar.

"Your sister- Nimueh. You're Lady Vivienne." He realized, and looked at the mysterious woman in a new light. She continued on like she hadn't heard him.

"She's wrong though. He can't be the Once and future King. Uther Pendragon is a monster. He will bring doom upon us all. I have seen it." She stated calmly, as if she were talking about the weather. Balinor looked around nervously, half expecting guards to pop up and arrest them both. The woman was speaking_ treason_! Yet there was a confidence in the way she spoke that made his hair stand up on end.

She snorted and continued her monolog "Nimueh is deluded. She thinks she is Emrys, the most powerful one. But she's wrong. You prove that."

"Me!" Balinor started, concerned to be included in the crazy woman's delusions.

"Yes, you're more powerful than her." She said evenly, with the same certainty she'd showed during the whole conversation.

Balinor gaped at her, and Vivienne smirked at his expression.

"You're trained differently, probably don't know a single battle spell, but the power inside you is enormous. I can see it." She glanced back down the corridor where he assumed Nimueh would be. "How could she be all powerful when you're existence proves she's not?"

"So you think" Balinor stuttered, thinking he had finally understood her point "t-that I'm this Emrys?!"

She put her hand on his shoulder and her face softened with pity.

"Maybe. I don't know. But that's not the point" She said "The point is that if my sister ever found out you are more powerful that her, she would stop at nothing to see you dead. Every moment you remain in Camelot, you are in grave danger."

Balinor gulped. From the impression he'd gathered of Nimueh, he had no doubt she was capable of the things her sister was accusing. He had sensed an underlying hunger for power in the woman that was unsettling to say the least.

"I appreciate the warning." He told her sincerely "But I was sent to Camelot to convince King Uther of a peace between Dragons and men. I will not leave until that goal is accomplished."

Vivienne sighed content that she had done her duty to warn the strange man as best she could. She shrugged as if to say 'oh well, it's your funeral', and changed the subject.

"I take it you have been invited to this atrocity they're calling a wedding?" She spat bitterly.

"I have, and am excited to attend." He confirmed "I would think you would be too, being the mother of the bride?"

"Ha!" she snorted "Excited to watch my baby be forcibly given to a man twice her age? Excited to watch as my _worm of a husband_ sells her off for some petty land and treaty's?" sarcasm littered her voice as she said "Oh yes, I'm _so excited_."

Balinor didn't know what to say. For her part, Vivienne seemed to realize she'd said too much and clasp a hand over her mouth, her whole face spilling over with pain.

Finally composing herself, Lady Vivienne dipped her head with a small curtsy.

"Lord Balinor." She said by way of excusing herself, and didn't even wait for him to bow in return before sweeping away down the corridor and out of sight.

Balinor decided that the magical sisters were probably both people he should try to _avoid_ during the rest of his time at Camelot.

* * *

An hour later, Balinor found himself being ambushed by a giddy Ygraine on his way to the great hall. She looked completely different with her hair pulled up elegantly in the Greek style and another long blue dress hanging off her shoulders.

"You must sit with me!" She insisted, pulling him along as they went. "You're one of the few people I know, and I don't want to sit with complete strangers at my own brother's wedding!"

Balinor smiled at her sudden open friendliness. He readily agreed, having a similar mindset of wanting to sit with a familiar face. As they walked in, Mary was holding Elyan in the back with the rest of the commoners. Balinor waved at them as they made their way to the front with the other nobles. Elyan waved back with so much vigor he almost fell out of his mother's arms.

Young Leon was sitting near the font by himself and fidgeting with the beaded embroidery on his tunic. Balinor slid into the bench next to him, Ygraine on his other side.

"I hate this stuff." Leon complained to them "I look like a girl in all this!"

"On the contrary," Ygraine huffed, gently straightening out the boy's tunic where it almost slid off one shoulder "I think you look very dashing."

Balinor found it hard not to laugh at the way the boy's chest puffed out proudly at the complement.

Everyone stood up as the king walked in. As he passed by their pew, he smiled at Ygraine, who blushed and grinned back. Balinor caught her eye and wagged his eyebrows suggestively, teasing her. He got a sharp elbow to the ribs as a reward.

Sir Tristian followed behind the king. His long red hair was neatly combed and he was dressed in a fine blue tunic with a silver phoenix on his chest. He looked slightly nervous, but he glanced over to the king and found strength there. He visibly resolved himself and turned to wait for his bride.

Then the music played and everyone turned to watch as she made her way down the aisle. Next to him, Ygraine gasped and Balinor felt his own mouth fall open in shock.

The girl couldn't have been more than 13 years old.

She looked very much like the man walking beside her. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a tight bun and a transparent veil failed to hide her big brown eyes leaking tears. The poor girl looked scared to death and was obviously reluctant to walk down the aisle, her father was practically dragging her.

As Lady Vivienne stood and watched her daughter, she gripped her seat so tightly her knuckles were white. Her face was nothing but heartbreak as her husband led the girl to meet her new husband.

"But, but…she's just a _child_!" Ygraine hissed in horror. "They can't really expect her to marry that young, can they?"

She and Balinor shared a sorrowful look, but both knew that they could. The alliance between their two family houses was obviously important, and no one would have wanted to delay the union.

Ygraine glared at her brother, who didn't notice her gaze. Instead he was looking at the girl being lead up to him with an almost sick look. Balinor quickly realized that while he may have been told about her youth, seeing it was another thing entirely. Tristan glanced over at the king, uncertainty ringing in his eyes which was calmed by Uther's nod of assurance.

Ygraine switched her glare to the king as Lord Gorlois left his daughter and went to stand beside his wife. Vivienne did not look at him and he seemed to have not expected her to.

"King Uther, my lords, ladies and people of Camelot," Announced the rounding man presiding over the ceremony. He kept his face impassive and Balinor remembered Gaius mentioning that his name was Geoffrey. "We are here today to celebrate the Union of the houses of Cornwall and de Bois through the marriage of Sir Tristian and Lady Morgause…."

The rest of the ceremony dragged on with pointless words of unity and fidelity. Poor Morgause sniffled the whole time and didn't look up from her shoes until the whole thing was over. Geoffrey finally pronounced them husband and wife, while the crowd cheered politely. No one really seemed to have their heart in it, and some had to look away as Morgauses tears turned to full sobs as her husband escorted her back down the aisle and out of the hall.

"She's so young." Ygraine muttered softly, seemingly in a state of shock as the new couple strode past. Tristan didn't meet anyone's eyes, but focused on the goal of getting out of there. He was practically dragging the girl along.

Vivienne was the first the leave after them. She swept after her daughter as if to go to comfort her, but was stopped by the hand of her husband grabbing her arm. Without waiting a beat, she spun and smacked him hard across the face with her free hand. The blow echoed across the hall as the crowed fell silent to watch the drama.

Vivienne drew up close to Gorlois, her face wild with fury.

"I will _never_ forgive you for this!" She hissed venomously in low voice, but loud enough for the whole hall to hear.

Gorlois, to his credit, seemed to finally grasp the absolute wrath his wife felt for him. He took a step back releasing her. Without saying another word she stomped out of the hall after her daughter. However, Balinor noticed that where the young couple had turned right, she turned left.

Murmured whispers filled the room as she left, which slowly turned into normal party sounds. The king walked over to Ygraine, beaming happily at her.

"Well that was certainly strange." He remarked to her conversationally, not seeing her dangerous warning glare. "I wonder what's gotten her so riled up? But then again, who am I to understand the mysteries of women? It's probably her time of the month of something!" he joked. Balinor winced, he could practically feel the anger rolling off Ygraine in waves.

Her eyes narrowed and her face looked very similar to Lady Vivienne's moments ago. With clinched hands at her side, she looked like she was barely controlling the urge to punch his royal highness in the jaw. In the end she settled for a very unladylike growl of frustration and stormed off like the mother of the bride.

Uther blinked after her, completely baffled by the woman's behavior. He turned to Balinor with a face that demanded answers.

Balinor shrugged and shook his head with wide, innocent eyes. There was no way he wanted to be the one to point out to the king what he had obviously done wrong. Uther's brow furrowed as he contemplated what to do. Finally making a decision, he abandoned his guests and nearly ran out of the hall to catch up to Ygraine.

"Are all weddings in Camelot like this?" Balinor asked Gaius, who had meandered over to stand next to him. The physician laughed.

"Actually, this one's been fairly tame for our standards." He said giving the younger man a warm pat on the back, and laughing again at his expression as he tried to imagine the implications of _that_ statement.

* * *

Ygraine didn't know where her feet where taking her until she found herself out on the training field. It was a warm summer day, yet there was a cool breeze that played with her skirts and tugged her farther out away from the castle. All she knew was that she wanted to be as far away from everyone as possible.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to sort out her feelings.

Tristan had married a child. A child! On the orders of the king! She knew her brother too well to think that he would have initiated or wanted to union, but his abandonment of his morals in favor of preforming the kings willwill left her horribly disappointed in her brother. Her feelings for the king were a bit more complicated and she was surprised at the fever and strength of them.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, the king himself appeared on the edge of the training field and called out to her.

"Ygraine!"

She turned away, utterly unwilling to speak with him for fear her emotions would lead her to actions she would regret. Or get her locked up for treason.

"Lady Ygraine, wait!" He jogged across the field until he was beside her, but wisely didn't try to restrain her physically. When she turned to look at him, she saw not the regal king she had expected to see, but instead he wore the face of normal man; confused and a little scared. The sight made her heart flutter and a warm spot in her chest was incredible endeared by his vulnerability. It was enough to stay her retreat and look at him. On the outside she glared coldly, daring him to speak.

"I can see you're upset..."He began

"Wow, sire," She sassed "Your powers of observation are astounding."

He continued as if she hadn't interrupted.

"You're upset, and it pains me to think that I might be the cause. Please, milady, if I have done anything to offend you, I offer my humblest apologies."

Ygraine sorted. He didn't even realize why she was upset! Why any of this mattered!

"When I was younger, I had a hand maiden named Nelly." She told him. "She was a few years older than I was, and when she was fourteen her father had her married to an old retired knight down in the village. He was nearly four times her age, yet he had money so her father practically sold her to him. I was able to visit her a few times, and when I did she would cry on my shoulder and tell me how much she hated her life."

"That's why you're angry with me?" He interrupted a little incredulously "Because Lady Morgause was a little young for marriage?"

"I am angry because you, my brother and lord Goloris seem to value _your precious treaty _more than the happiness of a young girl! You saw her in there, Uther! Was that the face of an excited bride? She is no more than a child without the wisdom or experience to fight for her own will. You have taken advantage of her!"

There was silence that echoed across the field.

"I…I hadn't thought of it like that." Uther muttered, honestly thoughtfully.

"I'm not naïve to the ways of politics," Ygraine admonished "But would it have killed you to wait a few years? If you are the type of man to force a child to marry against her will, what kind of king does that make you? Will you take advantage of the vulnerabilities of your people as you did her?"

Uther would not meet her eyes and stared off into the woods as she scolded him. Her words had made an impact, she could see it in the way he held his shoulders; like there was a sudden weight on them.

"I'm not…." He started, but stumbled as he fought to find the right words. "I'm not good at thinking like that, at empathizing with my people. Give me a sword, and I'll slay an army! But when it comes down to relating to my people in their everyday life, I struggle. I know it should be easy, I should be able to anticipate my people's needs. My people deserve a ruler who can relate to them."

His earnest admission caught her off guard, and before she knew it she had placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned and took her hand, his cool grey eyes boring into hers and petrifying her with their intensity.

"You can do that. Ygraine, I have never met anyone with such a passion for justice. The way you think is astounding and seeing the world as you do makes me a better person; a better king. _You_ could be the type of ruler Camelot deserves."

"Uther…." Ygraine breathed, suddenly nervous. He couldn't be asking her what she thought he was asking her…

"Ygraine, I have never felt with anyone the way I feel when I'm with you." He whispered reverently and gently brushed the side of her face with the palm of his hand. "You challenge me like no one else ever has, and I want you there with me every day for the rest of my life."

"Uther, we just met." She whispered back, startled by the sudden realization of how close they were to each other. She was angry at herself too, at the images that floated through her head at his words- Waking up next to him every morning, spending every day like these past few days, dancing with him…..fighting with him.

"Marry me." He ordered, in a way so that it was simultaneously a plea.

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, trying to remember that she was angry with him. His hands found her cheeks and pulled her face to meet him.

"Ygraine…."But before he could say whatever it was he was going to say, she leaned forward and stopped him with her lips on his. It was a sweet kiss, tender and full of a strange joy shared with an excited hope for the future.

"Is that a yes?" Uther asked, a little breathlessly into her ear. She giggled and nodded, not trusting her voice. Uther however, understood her message and swept her up in his arms, spinning her around while they both laughed giddily.

"I….I have no ring…." Uther realized sheepishly when he finally put her down. "But I will have one made. With whatever jewels you want!" The proposal had been so spur of the moment that he hadn't planned ahead for one.

"I don't need a ring, my love" She said with a little thrill at calling him the term of endearment. His smile perked up as well and he kissed her again, enjoying her sweet taste.

They decided to hold off announcing the engagement until the next day, allowing Tristan and Morgause to have that day to themselves.

"What happened to her? Your hand maiden?" Uther asked, with sudden curiosity.

"She died in childbirth." Ygraine answered with a little shudder. She had still been very young when it happened, and the event had made a large impact on her life.

Uther held her closer to him, stroking her hair comfortingly when he sensed her fear. And she felt safe, and hopeful, her fear being chased away with the thought of everything they could accomplish together. All the good they could do, all the hope they could bring.

And so they held on to each other, both happy and in love, while the bright sun looked down on them both and the kingdom they were destined to rule together.


	5. Dragons

That evening Balinor knocked softly on Ygraine's' door and waited to hear her soft "come in" before he entered. When he did, she was dancing around the room with a fancy gown in her arms, humming a happy tune to herself.

"Well someone's in a good mood." Balinor observed. Ygraine surprised him by dropping her dress and throwing her arms around his neck, giggling like a small child.

"Oh, I am!" She confirmed. She was just bursting to tell someone what had happened, but remembered that they weren't making the final announcement until the next day…..

"If I tell you something, can you keep a secret?" She asked him seriously. Balinor nodded, grinning at her enthusiasm.

"Uther has asked me to marry him!" Ygraine squealed, then clapped her hand across her mouth as if bad luck would curse her for speaking the words out loud.

Balinors mouth dropped open in shock.

"M-Marry him?"

"Yes, marry him" She confirmed with a confidant nod, then laughed at his still stunned expression "Oh, shut your mouth before you start catching flies!"

"But you just met him? Aren't you rushing things a bit?"

"Maybe a little." Ygraine admitted "But I've never felt this way about anyone before. Just the thought of him makes me smile and, _oh_, he can be such and oblivious _idiot _some times. But at the same time he's not afraid to admit when he's wrong. I just…. I feel like he _needs_ me." She confessed, plopping down on her bed and looking up at Balinor with a hopeless expression.

He sat down next to his new friend and nudged her gently with his shoulder.

"You're really in love with him, aren't you?"

"Yes. I think I really am." She said, bringing both hands to her cheeks with a little bit of hysteric shock. He laughed at her good naturedly before springing to his feet.

"Well then, let me be the first to congratulate you! Your majesty, _Queen _Ygraine Pendragon!" He said with that overenthusiastic bow of his that had his fingers nearly sweeping the floor.

"Oh gods! Queen! I hadn't even really thought about that!" She turned to him with a suddenly apprehensive expression. "What if I'm awful at it? Oh hell, what if I let the whole kingdom down?!"

"You're not going to let anyone down." Balinor reassured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in to a side hug. "Trust me, you are going to be a brilliant queen, one Uther and the kingdom will be proud of."

"Thank you Balinor." She said, grateful for both his words and his friendship.

"Now, I was about to ride out of the city to meet the dragons, seeing as Tristan was kind enough to lend me a horse. Would you still like to join me?"

"To meet dragons?!" Ygraine confirmed, an excitement almost stronger than that for her impending nuptials irrupting on her features "Of course I do! Just give me a moment to change and I'll meet you down at the stables!"

She practically shoved him out the door in order to expedite her changing process and not twenty minutes latter they were both on horseback and trotting out of the city.

Ygraine fidgeted in her seat, unable to sit still from excitement. Balinor noticed and openly laughed at her.

"It is safe though, right?" She asked after a bit "I mean, you said you can control them?"

"I can, but it won't be necessary." He informed her "Dragons aren't monsters…..well, I suppose _technically_ they are….but they're not _vicious_ monsters. They won't attack or hurt you unless you give them reason to. They are very reasonable like that."

"And will there be a lot of them? A herd of dragons?"

"A group of dragons is called a _clan_. And no, there will only be two of them. There are only seven alive in the world right now."

"Only seven?" Ygraine exclaimed, shocked by such a low number. All her life she'd heard stories of dragons, as everyone in the kingdom had. Although she nor anyone she knew had ever seen one personally, she'd always assumed they were there; hidden somewhere.

"All the others have been hunted down and killed by humans. That's the whole reason I came to Camelot- to petition the king to help stop the killing and preserve the remaining dragons."

"I wouldn't think a creature like a dragon would be threatened by humans." Ygraine observed and Balinor nodded.

"Normally they wouldn't be, but more often than not what happens is a large group of humans catch the Dragon unawares or trick it into a magical trap. That or the Dragon allows him or herself to be killed."

"Why would they do that?"

"Dragons are by nature very empathetic creatures. They generally stay away from humans, not because they are cold or heartless like they can sometimes appear, but because they form attachments or sympathies to humans so easily that when the human eventually dies, it is very painful for the dragon."

They rode into a beautiful clearing, the same one just off the road where they first met.

"Attachments? Like the soul-bonding you were talking about last night?"

"No, soul bonding is just between Dragons and Dragonlords. It's-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as there was a whooshing sound and suddenly he was plucked off his horse and hoisted into the air by large grey talons.

Ygraine shrieked in horror and scrambled off her panicking horse, getting her sword out and ready.

There was a loud thump as a gigantic golden dragon landed next to her. It barely glanced in her direction, its eyes trained disapprovingly on the tiny grey speck high above.

"_Children._" It huffed in a wised older voice.

Ygraine followed its eyes and was horrified to see Balinor dangling from the claws of a large grey dragon. They appeared to be yelling at each other in another language. Ygraine let out another yell of fear when the claws suddenly released and Balinor was free falling through the air, plummeting fast toward the earth.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" The gold dragon said, thoroughly annoyed. Ygraine actually saw him role his eyes.

Balinor tumbled and flailed through the air, the clearing rushing toward him. He was just meters from the ground when the grey dragon once again swooped down and flew under him so that he was caught on its back. The dragon did an elaborate loop through the air before finally landing gracefully in front of Ygraine. Little puffs of smoke were coming out of its nostrils, and Ygraine realized it was laughing.

"That wasn't funny Merlynna!" Balinor scolded, hopping off of the dragons back.

"Says you." The dragon huffed, still trying to control fits of laugher. "You should have seen your face! Priceless!"

"Balinor?" Ygraine called out tentatively. "Are you alright?"

The young Dragonlord saw Ygraine with her sword out and the terrified look on her face and glared reproachfully once more at the grey dragon.

"I'm fine. That was just her idea of a practical joke." He said soothingly, gently lowering her sword with the flat of his hand. He gestured back to the grey dragon "This is Merlynna, the dragon I was telling you about. She would never hurt me."

The gold dragon cleared its throat meaningfully and Balinor quickly spun around.

"And this is my teacher Killigarrah. Both of you, this is Lady Ygraine de Bois. Future queen of Camelot."

Ygraine swiftly backhanded Balinor in the stomach.

"I told you not to tell anyone!"

"They're dragons stuck in the middle of nowhere, who are they going to tell?"

Killigarrah cleared his throat again, breaking up what was sure to have been a bickering match. He lowered his head in a respectful bow that surprised even Balinor.

"My lady, it is an honor to meet you." He said.

"What happened to 'we never bow to mere humans'?" Merlynna asked in a tactless impression of Killigarrah. The gold dragon glared at her.

"If the lady is to be wed to a Pendragon, then she is to be our distant kin and as such deserves our respect."

"Wait, the Pendragon family is related to the Dragonlords?" Ygraine asked, genuinely curious. Next to her, Balinor groaned.

"The tale is a long one, and goes back to the very first Dragonlord…." Killigarrah began, getting into his story telling voice.

"You just had to ask." Balinor whined in her ear, having heard this story at least a thousand times and knowing full well Killigarrahs affinity for it. The dragon would use any excuse he could get to tell the history of the Dragonlords again.

"As I was _saying_." The gold dragon continued "The origin of the Dragonlords goes back to a time when the land of Albion was ruled almost entirely by creatures of magic, the chiefs of these being the dragons. It was a time when our kind where as numerous as the humans are now and the humans merely a handful of settled villages. During this time, there was a man who went by the name of Berk. He was out hunting one day and he came across an injured dragon and he tended to its wounds, nursing it back to health. During this time, the Dragon and Berk grew very close, close enough that those who saw them described them as having the same soul, or two sides of the same coin, and thus they were the first to become soul kin."

"First, but not the last." Merlynna added slamming her body fondly into Balinor, knocking him over.

"_Me_r_lynna_!"

She started her smoky snort laughs again, and Killigarrah ignored them both, continuing on with his story.

"Berk's sharing of souls with the dragon gave him knowledge of our kind that no other human had possessed before and he became the first Dragonlord. They fought in many battles together, and worked to protect both those of common birth and those of magic. Berk was soon crowned King of all of Albion. But when age caught up with Berk toward the end of his life he decided to take on six disciples. The decedents of these disciples along with Berk's own son became the seven Dragonlord families. And for many generations, those of Berks line ruled Albion with the six lords to serve them."

"So there are always seven Dragonlords?" Ygraine asked. She was thoroughly engrossed in the story and felt like a child again, hearing tales and legends from the past.

"There _were_ always seven Dragonlords." Merlynna corrected. "Now there's only two left."

"Only two?" Ygraine asked startled. "What happened to the other five families?"

Killigarrah smiled, happy to see she was keeping up with the story.

"Many generations ago the king, the last of Berk's direct line, went mad and started abusing his subjects. In fear for their lives, the people revolted and there was a great Civil war in Albion where even the other dragonlords fought to overthrow the King. It was during this fighting that two of the great noble houses were extinguished. And then the King was killed without leaving a son to carry on his powers, only two daughters."

"And that's where the Pendragon family comes in." Balinor added. "One of the daughters married a man named Pendragon and he became the new king of Albion and he built his throne in the city of Camelot. He enlisted the help of an extremely powerful sorcerer to enchant the ground and bless his line."

"Yes, Cornelius Sigan, good to see you remembered something from my lectures" Killigarrah said to Balinor "But that is another story for another time, for you see the second daughter married one of the other Dragonlords and continued his line."

Ygraine eyed Balinor appraisingly. "She married your ancestor, didn't she?"

Balinor gave her a humble smirk and a little shrug. "Yep. Technically, the Ambrosia family is the last of the Dragonlords who can claim they are direct descendants of Berk."

"But by my count, that still leaves four Dragonlord families?" Ygraine observed.

"Well the Turambar household died out on its own about 300 years ago, and the last Lord Nikitich…"

"Isn't he the one that drowned swimming naked in a lake after drinking twenty barrels of mead?" Merlynna asked in a way that made it clear she already knew the answer.

"We don't talk about him." Killigarrah said in a definitive voice.

"The only other surviving family is the Scamander's" Balinor told her "Lord Scamander lives with his wife and two young children in the valley of the fallen kings, along with the other five surviving dragons. They are the closest thing to human family I have left, that's why it's so important that I convince Uther that we should be protected."

Ygraine laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I will help you convince him any way I can." She vowed to him. Killigarrah dipped his head respectfully once again.

"Your kindness is much appreciated my lady. But I must ask you not to repeat what I have told you here. We do not yet know what kind of man Uther is, and he may see his and Balinor's shared lineage as a threat to his crown."

"Oh, he wouldn't..."Ygraine started, but trailed off as she realized she really didn't know what Uther would do. she really didn't know him well enough yet.

"If you wish me to keep silent then you have my word that I will." She told Killigarrah, who's eyes softened gratefully.

They had been talking for so long that the sun was starting to dip down behind the mountian's in the distance. Balinor and Ygraine would have to leave soon or have to make the journey back to Camelot it the dark.

"I am honored to have met both of you." Ygraine said sincerely to the dragons as she and Balinor mounted up for the return journey. "And thank you for the history lesson. I had no idea!"

"It's always a pleasure to have an attentive audience." Killigarrah purred while his sharp eyes cast an accusing glare at Balinor, who pointedly ignored it. "You will always be welcomed in our presence, my lady."

"Yeah, and look after this idiot, will you?" Merlynna added, nuzzling the dragonlord roughly. He pushed her away reproachfully, but at the same time smiled fondly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised them before he and the future queen spurred their horses and rode off in the direction of Camelot.

"Nice lady." Merlynna commented conversationally. Killigarrah looked at the spot where the two humans had disappeared with a worried expression.

"Yes, she seems to have a good soul. Yet I could feel the threads of destiny wound into her fate. Whether those threads lead us to doom or fortune, I do not know."

"Oh lighten up!" The grey dragon scoffed. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Uther was lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling, his mind lost in thought about the day's events. His manservant had already dressed him in his lightweight sleeping tunic and trousers and set the fire at a low burn before leaving him alone for the night.

His thoughts always came back to Ygraine. There was something about her that hooked in and drew him to every aspect of her. Even that very moment, he was fighting himself not to go find her in her rooms so they could talk some more. He had to remind himself that she had agreed to be his wife, and therefor they would have the rest of their lives to be together.

The thought made him grin like a madman.

There was a soft, almost timid knock at the door, startling him out of his fantasies. A glance at the angle of the moonlight coming in through the window told him it was very late in the evening, well past acceptable visiting hours.

Thinking that perhaps Ygraine had been a little less in control of her impulses than he, Uther eagerly sat up and called for the visitor to enter.

A woman in a deep blue cloak entered, her face shrouded by the long hood. She quickly entered the room and shut the door behind her, fastening the bolt.

"Milady." Uther gulped, nervousness preventing further speech. The woman glided over to stand in front of the bed, which he sat with perfect stillness on.

"Milord." She said, and Uther peered at her suddenly curious. It was not the voice he had expected, not Ygraine's high soprano voice, but one husker and deeper with age. The woman lowered the hood with delicate fingers and revealed herself to the king.

Lady Vivienne took in his look of surprise and gave him a smirk of her own. Her cool green eyes appraised him knowingly and with a confidence of a woman who had made up her mind and knew there was no going back.

"Expecting someone else?" She asked teasingly. Uther had to suppress a sigh of disappointment, and shook his head to steady himself. He got up off the bed and started to walk over toward her.

"I'm sorry milady, but it is late. I'm not exactly in the mood for a visitor at present. I'll have a guard escort you back to your room." He gestured for her to lead the way toward the door, but she stayed where she was, her penetrating gaze evaluating every microscopic movement of his. Her delicate hands once again went to the top of the cloak as she undid the intricate pin that held it in place. With a swish the garment fell to the floor revealing her naked body underneath.

Uther's mouth fell open as he took her in. Even though she was about a few years his senior, she was still a breathtakingly beautiful woman, dark hair falling in waves upon ivory skin. She took a step closer to him and gazed up into his face while one hand curled around his head to rake her fingers through the back of his hair. He caught her hand before it could travel any further down than his shoulder.

"Lady Vivienne. I can't. _We_ can't" He said, struggling against himself. _Ygraine_ he thought frantically _think of Ygraine_.

But _that_ wasn't exactly helping.

She smirked and leaned in to whisper seductively in his ear.

"Uther, you're the king. You can do whatever you want."

Her lips pressed lightly against his ear and then traced a line across his cheek until they met his own. He stood very still for a moment, but it was too much. Before he could think too much about it he found himself giving in and wrapping his arms around her, drawing her in closer to his body.

She broke away and smirked again, satisfied that she was about to get a revenge on her husband he would not soon forget.

* * *

**A/N: Kudo's to any of you who got the dragonlords family names references. And thanks for sticking with this so far! I know it's a bit convoluted and complex, but it's been fun to hear your theories of where I'm going with all this. Eventually I will tie in Back stories for every one of the main characters. I've got it all planned out in my head, now I've just got to put it down on 'paper'. Thanks for reading! -Harisa**


	6. While the King is Away

They held another feast to celebrate the King and Ygraine's engagement a week later, yet the actual wedding they agreed to wait and have the following spring. The engagement party was even more rambunctious than the last feast, however Balinor did not get the chance to dance with Ygraine again, her time and attention having been monopolized by the king. He did end the night abhorrently drunk and having to be dragged back to his bed by an extremely patient Gaius.

The next morning he was startled awake as a bucket of water was dumped on his head.

"H-hey!" He stuttered "_Gaius_! What was that for?"

"Get up!" The older man commanded "Your meeting with the king in fifteen minutes!"

"What!" Balinor shouted and stumbled out of bed, struggling to get his wet shirt off and slip into the nice tunic Gaius had lent him.

"Well you wanted to meet with him, didn't you? Lady Ygraine has convinced him to see you formally."

"Yes, but I would have appreciated a bit of warning." Balinor huffed, then stood and looked at the physician with an exasperated expression.

"Here, take this. It will help with the headache." Gaius told him, handing him a vial of potion that he downed in a single swig and then regretted it. Balinor made a gaging sound as the disgusting liquid hit the back of his throat. The physician had little sympathy for his delicate taste buds, and practically manhandled the Dragonlord out of the door, ordering:

"Get moving! Do not keep the king waiting!"

Balinor did his best, dashing through the halls and dodging passing servants and nobles alike until he found himself at the grand wooden doors that were the portal to the throne room. He pushed all his weight on the door just as a nearby servant opened the door from the inside and he went tumbling into the room, falling flat on his face.

"This is the man who can command dragons?" Uther said, unimpressed while Ygraine tried unsuccessfully to suppress her laughter behind her hand.

Balinor popped right back up onto his feet and bowed respectfully to the king.

"Your Majesty." He said to Uther. "I am Lord Balinor Ambrosia of the Dragonlords, soul kin of Merlynna and student….."Uther waved him off.

"Yes, yes, I know who you are. Lady Ygraine tells me you've come to Camelot to petition me on behave of your people. Is that so?"

"Yes my lord, it is." Balinor confirmed, then continued when Uther gestured for him to do so. "Well, I'm not sure how much you know about the history of my people…?" He questioned, glancing at Ygraine seeing as the future queen had recently had a full lesson in their history.

"Admittedly not much. History never really interested me much in my studies."

Balinor nodded, pleased Ygraine had kept her promise and not told Uther the stories Killigarrah had told her. Everything would be a lot simpler if the king remained ignorant of their shared ancestry.

"Once there were many houses of lords who had the Dragonlord power. Now there is but two; my own and the house of Scamander. We command the remaining dragons in Albion, which only number seven at present. "

"So few?" Uther commented, and Balinor nodded sadly.

"The real issue is that our dragons are also disappearing. My lord, in order to preserve the species my people are charged with protecting, I implore you to make it illegal to kill dragons in your kingdom."

"Illegal to kill dragons?!" Uther said, startled. "Do you understand what you're asking me for? What if a dragon were to attack a village or steel cattle? My people have their lives and lively hood to worry about!"

"The dragons are not savage beasts" Ygraine added. She was surprised at the level of understanding Uther seemed to have with his people, but then she saw a primal fear hidden behind his mask of authority and understood the real reason for his hesitation.

"King Uther, I can assure you that the dragons will not harm a single one of your subjects nor their animals." Balinor tried to sell to him "They are creatures of magic and can survive on very little food, but even then they prefer to eat wild game. Not only that, but If you do this then you would have the alliance of all seven dragons plus both Dragonlord houses to threaten you enemies with." He could see the military angle appealed to the king far more than anything he had previously heard.

"After all" Ygraine added "The Dragon is your house Crest."

The king looked thoughtful and Balinors gut twisted nervously. This was it. This was why he'd come to Camelot. The hopes of his people dangled on the king's decision. Uther opened his mouth to give a verdict…

The doors behind them burst open and Tristan waltzed in, his wavy red hair bouncing along with his steps. There was a look of urgency on his face that contradicted his relaxed posture.

"My lord, forgive me for intruding but you are needed in the war room at once! We have received word King Wulfhere of Essetir is amassing troops on the Northern plains. Our spies indicate he means to declare war!"

Uther was instantly on his feet shouting orders.

"Summon lord Gorlois, he is most knowledgeable about the area! And prepare the horses and men! If we should have to ride out, we do so before noon!"

"War!" Ygraine said, startled by the sudden change of pace. She stopped Uther from leaving by clutching his arm and holding him in place. "Uther, you're not actually going to ride out to the Northern Plains today, are you? It's so far away! What about the wedding?"

"I'll be back before the wedding. I promise you." He said, taking her face in his hands and gazing down at it lovingly. Ygraine tore out of his grasp, frustrated.

"That's not the point." She growled. "If you're going, then I'm going with you!"

"NO!" Uther said, a little too loudly and a little too quickly. He was immediately regretful at her hurt expression and one hand automatically found its way to her face again.

"No." He said more softly. "I cannot stand to think of you so close to such danger."

"And it's _so _easy for me to think that of you." Ygraine challenged him sarcastically. The king closed his eyes, as if searching for patience within himself.

"Someone needs to stay here in my absence. Someone I trust." He said, looking her in the eye. "This will give you time to get to know the castle, to get to know the people before you become queen."

"I would rather be at your side."

"I would rather that too." He admonished and not caring that Balinor and Tristan where still in the room, he leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. He then turned swiftly to Balinor.

"Lord Ambrosia, I apologize for cutting our meeting short, but I have pressing matters to attend to. I will consider your proposal and give you an answer when I return."

"The dragons, my people, we can help! We can help with whatever this situation in the north is…."

"As I said, I will speak to you further about this when I return." Uther said briskly before he and Tristan promptly left and a servant closed the gigantic doors behind them.

Ygraine and Balinor looked at each other.

"Well I think that went well." Balinor said in an annoyingly chipper voice that was obviously sarcastic. Ygraine rolled her eyes at him and stalked away.

* * *

So Uther left for the Northern plain, and he took Tristan, Gorlois and a multitude of other knights and lords with him. While Ygraine was not expected to make any decisions of real consequence while he was away, as the newly selected 'queen-to-be' it seemed like everyone from the washerwomen to the nobles of the court deemed it their job to teach her and prepare her for the day when she might have to.

The worst was Sir Geoffrey, who would spend hours lecturing her on the different treaties and connections between the houses. Most of the time she managed to avoid the man, but if he caught her she knew she was in for a non-stop lecture boring enough to put her to sleep.

"It's all Tristan's fault, you know." She remarked conversationally to Balinor one afternoon as she hacked away at a training dummy on the practice field. The Dragonlord was amusing himself by levitating several sticks into the air until they made the semblance of various creatures or people.

"How do you figure that?" He asked as he lounged out on the grass and watched the two stick figures he had created dance like a couple through the air.

"I think Geoffrey has a horrible grudge against him for changing our house crest into a phoenix. And therefor he has decided to take out this resentment on my brother via me, his closest living relative. I swear, I've never seen a man so passionate about genealogy!"

"Sounds like he and Killigarrah would get along."

Ygraine snorted agreement and continued to slash and stab at the wooden dummy, sweat dripping into her eyes from the hot sun.

"Don't look now Ygraine, but I think we have a visitor." Balinor said, spotting a brown eye peeking out from behind a pillar and watching them both. Ygraine followed his gazed and called out to the person, who was still shrouded in shadow.

"Come on out" She said "We won't hurt you."

Very reluctantly, a young girl crept out from behind the pillar. He blond hair was tied back in a braid very similar to Ygraine's and her clothes matched as well. Without the dress and veil, it took Balinor a few moments to recognize her as the young bride from the wedding. Ygraine's sister-in-law.

"Morgause?" Ygraine smiled warmly at the girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I was….I was…" The girl started timidly, eyes darting between the two of them like a corned animal. Unable to get the words out, she cautiously revealed the sword she had been hiding behind her back.

"Oh, you've come to train?" Ygraine asked, delighted at the prospect of another female being interested in swordplay. "Have you used a sword before?"

Morgauses face turned bright red and she shook her head, ashamed.

"No milady. I just thought…well you're _so good_, I thought maybe you wouldn't mind... I mean I thought maybe you could…..teach me?" The girl's apprehension was obvious in the way she barely squeaked out the last two words. She was holding her breath, waiting with her big eyes trained on Ygraine for the answer she desperately wanted.

Ygraine smiled at the girl.

"Of course. What are sister-in-laws for anyway?" She laughed and was rewarded when the girl broke out into a delighted smile of her own.

"We'll start off with your stance." Ygraine instructed. "You want to keep your legs bent and sturdy underneath you so you don't lose your balance. Like this….." What followed was two hours of Ygraine teaching Morgause the basics of sword fighting, as well as some elementary drills she could practice on her own. Balinor didn't really participate, but would occasionally offer words of encouragement and support as the girl got the hang of it.

"How about we pick this back up tomorrow." Ygraine said at last, glaring at the hot sun which was still beaming down at them. Morgause looked like she wanted to continue, but was too shy to protest. After shuffling her feet for a bit, she surprised them all by shooting toward Ygraine and giving her a quick hug.

"Thank you for the lesson!" She sputtered out quickly, then sprinted away into the castle with her face beet red. Caught off-guard by the affectionate attack, Ygraine smiled after her sister-in-law. She made the mental promise to herself to do everything in her power to make the girls life a little easier.

A nearby shrub snickered in a little-boyish fashion at Morgauses strange behavior. Balinor and Ygraine looked at the shrub, then looked at each other. Balinor winked at her and muttered a spell.

The next second Leon had been hoisted up from his hiding spot by his ankles and was dangling in the air. Rather than be frightened, he was laughing joyfully at the sudden invisible suspension.

"Leon!" Ygraine scolded with her hands on her hips. "What are you doing spying on us?"

"I wasn't _spying_!" The young boy corrected as Balinor slowly lowered him to the ground and he crawled to his feet. "I'm hiding from Mary. If she catches me, she's going to make me do my lessons." He made a disgusted face as if there was really nothing worse in the world than being forced to do lessons.

As if summoned by the mention of her name, at that moment Mary came bustling out of the castle and caught sight of Leon. The curly haired boy dove to hide behind Balinor as she stormed up to them.

"Leon!" She growled "I have been looking for you for an _hour_! Where have you been child?"

Leon didn't respond, but instead looked up at Balinor pleadingly.

"Please don't let her make me do lessons!" He begged.

Balinor looked between the big eyes of the child at his feet and the stormy eyes of the woman next to them and struggled to find a happy medium between the two.

"Mary, maybe _I_ could take over Leon's studies today. I was about to ride out and meet an old teacher of mine. Maybe Leon would like to come with me?"

Leon nodded emphatically while Mary looked skeptical.

"I do still have a lot sewing to get done…" She muttered, "But Leon is my responsibility, I don't know….."

"You have my word, no harm will come to him" He swore to her, honesty rolling off his person. Mary immediately seemed to relax and warm to the idea.

"Please!" Leon begged her, and she ruffled his curls with affection.

"Oh all right!" She gave in and turned to Balinor "I really have so much to do today and your looking after him would be an awful help." She gave Leon a warning look and said "Be on your best behavior, alright?" The boy nodded vigorously and Mary reluctantly left them to finish her chores.

"I like how you didn't mention that your' former teacher is a gigantic fire-breathing dragon." Ygraine muttered to Balinor dryly, who shrugged and smirked at her.

"A dragon! Really?! I get to meet a dragon?!"

"Two, if you're lucky!" Balinor said, then laughed at the boys victory dance.

* * *

It ended up being part of a regular routine for them. On laundry day's when Mary was bogged down with work, Balinor would take over watching Leon and take him out to meet the dragons. Some days Ygraine and Morgause would join them and practice their sword play. This ended up being much better because Morgause tended to get uncomfortable when she thought people from the castle were watching her, yet she didn't seem to mind it if Balinor or Leon saw her fight. She had initially been timid around the dragons, but that had quickly dissipated. Eventually she found something about their presence soothing.

Merlynna found the two women's practice sessions fascinating and would sit for hours watching them, her eyes and tail swishing back and forth like a cat.

But perhaps the strangest friendship that sprung up from their little outings was that between Leon and Kilgharrah. The boy captivated by the gigantic reptile and was an endless fountain of questions, which the old dragon usually answered with another question. This didn't seem to bother Leon too much, as he could usually guess the answer on his own. Kilgharrah let the boy climb all over him very patiently, apparently charmed by the boy's youth.

It was a beautiful fall day and the girls had taken a break from their training to enjoy some of the marvelous picnic Balinor had brought along. Leon and Kilgharrah were still in the mists of a battle of riddles, which they had been at for the last half hour.

"What's the matter?" Balinor asked Ygraine, who had been staring off sadly into the distance.

"Just missing Uther, I suppose." She sighed "I hope he and Tristian can come home soon."

"I don't." Morgause snapped bitterly without thinking about it, then her eyes went wide as she realized what she had said. "Oh, I'm sorry Milady! I didn't mean it like that!" She apologized to Ygraine's shocked face in a hurry "I know he's your brother and all, I just…..I just like it as things are now. Just us."

Ygraine reached over compassionately and patted the girl's hand, ignoring the bright red blush of embarrassment that was swarming her face.

"It's alright." She soothed her sister-in-law. "I know this hasn't been easy for you. Here, have some chicken?" She offered the meat over like a peace offering which made Morgause smile slightly as she took it. Unfortunately she took one bite and then was scrabbling away from the group over to the tree line covering her mouth. Ygraine followed closely behind her and after a moment they heard the sounds of the girl being violently sick.

"Are you alright?" Balinor asked concerned when the two girls came back a moment later.

"It must have been something I ate," Morgause reassure him with a wave of her hand "That chicken just didn't taste right to me. I think maybe I should go back and see the physician."

"I'll take her." Ygraine offered immediately, already steering the girl over to the horses. "We'll see you and Leon back at the castle." And then only after the briefest of farewells to the dragons they were off and racing back to the castle. Over the last few weeks, Ygraine had grown incredibly close to her new sister-in-law and was terrified of something being seriously wrong with her.

Ygraine practically beat the wooden door to the physician's chambers to the ground with her pounding. When a very annoyed Gaius finally opened the door it was to find a rather scared Ygraine supporting a woozy Morgause. The horse ride back had done nothing but exacerbate her nausea.

Inside the chamber, Viviane got to her feet with alarm at seeing her daughter in such a state and rushed forward to take her from Ygraine. The future queen barely had time to wonder what Viviane had been doing in the physicians chambers before the worried mother started demanding;

"What happened?"

"I'm fine, mother" Morgause said with a roll of her eyes. "I just started feeling a bit sick, that's all."

Gaius hummed thoughtful then moved over to examine the girl.

"Have you hit your head lately?" Gaius asked and she shook her head, but he ran his fingers over her skull to check anyway.

"And when was the last time you had your monthly bleed?" Morgause turned bright red in the face at the intimate question and looked down at the floor.

"It's alright child, I'm a Physician." He said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Ummm, sometime before the wedding I think?" She said, biting her lower lip.

Vivienne gasped and her eyes flew to Gaius's for confirmation. A foreboding feeling settled in Ygraine's gut.

"What? What is it?" Morgause demanded, scared by the look on her mother's face. "Mother?" Vivienne's hand flew to cover her mouth.

Gaius swallowed and turned back to his patient, attempting to smile at her.

"Morgause, I think you got sick because that's the way a lot of women feel when they're first become pregnant."

""No." Viviane s interrupted shaking her head. She reached out and clutched Gaius's arm as if he could do something. "She can't be! Gaius she far too young!"

"I'm going to write to an old friend of mine, she specializes in difficult births. She'll be able to help." Gaius said "It will be okay."

Vivienne's hands clinched into fists as her face twisted with anger.

"Damn him. Damn Gorlois!" She seethed "This is all his fault!" And without another word she stormed from the room. If she heard her daughter calling after her, she ignored her.

Tears started trickling from Morgause eyes and she buried her face in her hands. Ygraine hurried over to her and enveloped the girl in her arms. They sat like that for some time as Morgause cried and Ygraine stroked her hair.

* * *

**Thanks for reading so far. I'm planning an ch were we check in on Arthur and see what He thinks of all this, but I have no idea what to do. So if you guy's have any idea what Arthur would think, put them in the reviews. I'm really curious what your opinions are.**


	7. Glimpse the Future

"He cannot be serious about marrying _her_"

Vivienne refused to look at her sister, who was pacing back and forth in front of her furiously, instead focusing on the embroidery set in her lap. It was several days after she had found out that her daughter was expecting, and in that time Vivienne had learned to keep her anger in check. The news had both infuriated and terrified her, but she would have her revenge, she just needed to be patient. Everything was already in place. Until then, she was content to sit and listen to her sisters' bitter rants.

"I mean, who does she think she is? _Waltzing_ in out of nowhere and attempting to sweep Uther off his feet…"

"_Succeeding _to sweep him off his feet apparently" Vivienne muttered. Nimueh ignored her and continued her rant.

"She's not even magical? What is she? Just some stupid human who likes playing rough with the boys and their swords. And they want to make _her _queen? Well there goes the kingdom! She's not even that pretty!"

"Uther seems to think so."

"Uther is a fool who doesn't know what he wants" Nimueh hissed. "_I_ am the one he should be marring. _I _would be best for this kingdom. I am Emrys! He and I have a bond like no other! We are two sides of the same coin, or so say the prophesies!"

"Or maybe you're wrong. Maybe he's not the once and future king and you're not Emrys." Vivienne said with a smirk. Nimueh glared at her sister before violently slapping the embroidery out of her hands.

"I am Emrys." She declared "I am the all-powerful one! And Uther is my King! We are destined to rule this kingdom together!"

"If you say so, sister."

Nimueh stopped and stared at Vivienne, taken aback by the other woman's confidant attitude. Vivienne had always been all spit and venom but no real bite. But now there was a constant smirk set in the corner of her lips that let Nimueh know that something had happened.

"What did you do?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Vivienne fainted innocence, but Nimueh was having none of it.

"Oh yes you do. You did something. Something big. Something you don't want to tell me about."

"It's really none of your concern."

"Oh, but I am concerned, Viv." Nimueh said, using the childhood pet name for her sister. "You're so impulsive, I know you don't always think things through. Tell me what you did so I won't worry about you."

Vivienne laughed, perfectly aware that her sister cared very little for her wellbeing. She mimed locking her lips and throwing away the keys to irritate the other woman.

"Fine. Tell me what you did, not because I'm a loving sister, but because you're dying to brag about it."

Vivienne shrugged acceptingly. Her sister did know her better than anyone else in the world. She took Nimueh's hand and led it to rest on top of her still flat stomach, reveal the secret Gaius had informed her of before Morgause and Ygraine had come in. The sorceress gasped when she felt the life inside.

"You're pregnant?" Nimueh asked, confused and a little repulsed. Children in general did not like her and she did not like them. Her sister's devotion to her offspring had always confused her.

"What better revenge on my husband for selling our child off at the kings biding than to make him raise the king' illegitimate child?" Vivienne explained with a smirk "All it took was a fertility spell and one night in the Kings bed. I can see why you like him." She added with a wink. Nimueh jerked her hand away from Vivienne's stomach.

"You fool!" She hissed. "Have you no notion of the damage you've done? No notion of the future that awaits this child?"

"What are you talking about?"

"A child conceived on the cocktail of magic and hate will know nothing else! This is basic sorcery Vivienne! Once she comes fully into her magic, she will know nothing but the hate and despair you felt when she was first conceived!"

"You're lying!" Vivienne sneered, her hand flying protectively over her stomach and her unborn child.

"Scry into the future yourself if you don't believe me." Nimueh challenged. "See for yourself the pain and suffering that awaits your daughter once she is brought into this world."

Vivienne ran out of the room, throwing the door open and leaving her sister behind. Her long skirts billowed out around her as she rushed down the hall and almost collided with Ygraine.

"Lady Vivienne! You startled me." The blond exclaimed, then noticed the other woman's state of distress "Are you alright?"

"Come with me!" Vivienne commanded, latching onto Ygraine's arm and dragging her along. "The spell works better if there's more than one person."

Ygraine let herself be led up a winding pair of stairs and into Vivienne's private chamber. With a flurry of movement, Vivienne drew the curtains closed and the room was enveloped in near total darkness. Then suddenly, candles all around the room burst to life with a magic word from Vivienne. Ygraine gasped at the impressive display. But Vivienne had no time for that. She poured out an enormous bowl of water and set it on the floor.

"Sit there." The sorceress commanded, and a bewildered Ygraine did as she was told, taking a seat on the floor next to the bowl. Vivienne sat on the opposite side.

"What are we doing?" Ygraine whispered.

"Scrying into the future" Vivienne replied tartly "Give me your hands."

Ygraine once again did as she was told, excited to be a part of something magical. Since coming to Camelot, she had become a lot more comfortable around magic. Balinor didn't seem able to go a full hour without using it. But she had never been around something like this. It made the hairs on the back of her arm stand on end.

Ancient words poured out from Vivienne's lips. An unnatural wind swirled around the closed room and tugged playfully at the ends of the two women's hair. The candles flared drastically and then as one wink out, leaving them in darkness. The only light came from the sorceress's glowing eyes.

Then there was nothing.

* * *

When Ygraine opened her eyes she was no longer in the dark castle chamber, but in a warm spring meadow. Instead of being frightened by the sudden change, she found herself strangely calm. Everything around her was a little hazy and she had trouble focusing on anything for too long. It was a little like being drunk.

Motion out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to the fact that she was not alone in the meadow. Not far away two young men were starting to make camp. Well, one of them was setting up a campfire while the other was lounging against a log and soaking in the rays of the sun. While the first, and obviously younger of the two, wore simple clothes and a tattered red neckerchief, the second was dressed in chainmail and had a sword fastened to his belt. This man was obviously a knight, and perhaps the second was his squire?

Ygraine moved closer through the high grass to try and hear their conversation, but even when she was mere feet away she could still hear nothing. They were obviously talking to each other, but their words were lost to her. And while they couldn't have been far off from her own age, when she looked at them it was like looking at small children. She felt a strange urge to hold and shelter them both with motherly affection.

The knight looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh at something the younger man was saying. He said something that made him glare at the younger man before a mischievous grin picked at his lips. Without warning and as quick as lightning, the knight suddenly hurled himself at his companion in an attempt to pin him on the ground.

At first Ygraine was alarmed, fearing the stranger was under attack. But it soon became clear that the pair were tussling in the manner boys of that age would. In fact, she remembered many a time doing so herself with her brothers. After a while, the knight finally seemed content with the other boy's surrender and helped to hoist him to his feet. He then struck him fondly on the back of the head while the other glared.

_Brothers._ Ygraine though, recognizing the rapport between them. _They're brothers_. She was sure of it, like it was an unquestionable truth, a fact she had unconsciously known from the moment she saw the strangers. It was an odd detail to have picked up on so quickly since the two had very little resemblance between them.

One was broad and tan with hair as fair as her own. He wore a heavy air of responsibility on his shoulders, and had a protective twinkle in his eyes when he looked at the other man that was very endearing. He was confident in his mannerisms, but also wary; as if he was used to his every movement being watched and judged. More than anything Ygraine felt an overwhelming feeling of recognition and affection when she looked at the blond which she could not explain.

The other man was pale where his companion was tan, dark haired where the other was fair, and slender in frame. The only trait the two shared were their blue eyes, which each were a slightly different shade. Where the other boy's eyes had twinkled, the dark haired one's burned with passion to protect that was alarming. Again, there was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite call it from memory.

Then it hit her. Abruptly who he reminded her of came to mind and she couldn't stop herself from saying the name aloud.

"Balinor?"

The dark haired boy's blue eyes darted to hers, looking straight at her. For a moment she thought he could see her, but then his gaze slipped to either side of her in an alarmed search. The blond man looked too, but in response to his companion.

Ygraine was so close she could read his lips as the dark hair man responded;

"I thought I heard something."

The knight rolled his eyes dismissively and went back to lay by his log, but the other stayed alert. He glanced once at the knight to make sure he'd lost interest, then surveyed the scene again, but this time his eyes flashed a brilliant gold.

Ygraine barely had time to marvel at the sight before the world started to fade away into darkness.

* * *

When she opened her eyes for the second time, Ygraine found herself back in Vivienne's chambers. It was still pitch black, so she shuffled her way over to the curtains and flung them open.

The sunlight illuminated a figure huddled in on itself on the floor. Ygraine rushed to the other women's side and helped hoist her to her feet.

"Did you see?" The older woman trembled, her big eyes threatening to spill over with tears. "Did you see her?"

_Her?_ Ygraine thought with confusion. The vision she'd seen had only contained the two boys.

"Who?" she asked.

"My daughter! The one I carry inside me!" Vivienne screeched, her hands flying to her stomach dramatically. Ygraine's eyes widened in surprise at the news.

"You're going to have another child?" Ygraine stammered "Congratulations! That's joyous news!" The future Queen hadn't even thought Vivienne and her husband were speaking to each other, let alone….

But Vivienne looked anything but jubilant. In fact, she looked like the whole world was suddenly coming to an end and it was her fault.

"Oh, what have I done?" She cried, throwing herself onto the bed dramatically. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she choked out as her shoulders shook with her sobs.

"Shhhh. It's alright, there there." Ygraine tried to console her. She sat beside her on the bed and started to rub soothing circles on her back. The older woman flinched away, mortified at the other woman's touch.

"No, you don't understand!" Vivienne said, looking at her with tear filled eyes. "I don't deserve sympathy for what I've done. Least of all from you."

"What do you mean?" Ygraine asked with a growing feeling of dread.

"It's the child" Vivienne moved her hand to cover her stomach significantly. "I was so blinded by pride, by the need for revenge that I didn't see, I didn't realize the evil I was creating."

"Your child is not evil!" Ygraine told her, mortified. The poor thing hadn't even been born yet. The future queen's greatest wish was to give Uther an heir. The idea of a child, part her, part Uther, was the most wonderful thing she could imagine. The very thought of Vivienne's apparent revulsion with the child she carried scared her.

"You don't _understand_!" Vivienne repeated again, shaking her head violently. "This child was conceived out of my own arrogance, hate, and magic. As punishment for my indiscretions, this too shall be the child's fate. I have foreseen it."

Ygraine stared and tried to make sense of the mad woman's ravings. Finally everything clicked in her head as she put the pieces together. Her eyelids fell closed as she sighed, suddenly understanding the older woman's pain.

"The child's not Gorlois's, is it?" She asked softly. Vivienne sobbed aggressively into her hand, her whole frame crumbling in confirmation to the question.

Ygraine, being the kind hearted soul she was, collapsed on top of Vivienne and rapped her arms around her, much as she had her daughter days' before. She cradled the other woman and rocked her back and forth while her tears soaked the sleeve of her gown. After a few minutes, Vivienne composed herself enough to sit up and take a few deep breaths. She wiped her eyes and nose gratefully with the handkerchief Ygraine offered her.

"Who's the father?" Ygraine asked genuinely curious, when she thought Vivienne had calmed down enough to speak. She had begun to form her own theories as to the child's parenthood. One of the kinds knights maybe? Gods, she didn't know what she would do if it were Tristan! Or maybe Balinor? The image of the dark haired boy from the meadow flashed before her eyes.

"Oh, Lady Ygraine!" Vivienne cried, her hand flying to cover her mouth and her eyes widening in horror. "I thought you understood. Oh gods, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Who is it?" Ygraine asked in a dead tone, fear suddenly gripping her heart. She was fairly sure she didn't want to hear the name about to come out of the older woman's mouth. But there was one name she dreaded hearing more than any of the others.

"The child is the king's, Milady. Uther is the father."


End file.
